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HISTORY 



OF 



ENGLAND. 



FROM 

THE FIRST INVASION BY JULIUS CiESAR, 

TO THE 

.1CCESSI0J\' OF GEORGE THE FOURTH 

IN EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY : 

COMPRISING 

EVERY POLITICAL EVENT WORTHY OF REMEMBRANCE : 
A PROGRESSIVE VIEW 

OF heltgiox, laxgttage, axd manners ; of men eminent fob their 

VlRTtTE OR THF.IR LEARNING; THEIR PATRIOTISM, ELOQUENCE, 

OR PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH; OF THE TNTROBUCTION OF 

MANUFACTURES, AND OF COLONIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. 

WITH 

AN INTERROGATIVE INDEX, 

FOR 

THE USE OF SCHOOLS. 



BY WILLIAM QRIMSHAW, 

AUTHOR, OF A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, &C, 



IHIRD EDITION, CAREFULLY REVISED AND ENLARGED, 



PHILADELFHM • 
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 

BY LYDIA R. BAILEY, 
1823. 



BASTSnX DISTRICT OP PEKj^SYLVAmA, to wit : 

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-first day 
(L. S.) of August, in the forty-fifth year of the Independence of 
the United States of America, A. D. 1820, William Grim- 
sha\v, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the Title of 
a Book, tlje right whereof he claims as Author, in the words follow- 
ing, to 7vit .- 
• 
"History of England, from the first invasion by Julias Caesar, to 
" the accession of George the Fourth, in eighteen hundred and twen- 
** ty : comprising every political event worthy of remembrance : a pro- 
••gressive view of religion, language, and manners ; of men eminent 
**for their virtue, or their learning; their patriotism, eloquence, or 
** philosophical research ; of the introduction of manufactures, and of 
"colonial establishments. With an interrogative index, for the use 
"of schools, by William Grimshaw, authorof a history of the United 
«' States, &c." 

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, enti- 
tuled "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the 
copies of maps, charts and books, to the Authors and Proprietors of 
such copies during the times therein mentioned." — And also to the 
Act, entitled, " An Act supplementary to an act, entitled, * An Act for 
the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts 
and books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the 
times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the 
Arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other 
prints." 

D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the 
Eavtern District of Pennsylvania, 



CCj'The interrogative index, mentioned in the title-page, (the 
form of which, to preserve the copy-right, cannot be altered,) is 
now omitted. 



':}a'ii 






RECOMMENDATIONS 

OF 

GRIMSHAW'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

AND 

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



*' History of England^ from the first Invasion by Julius 
Csesar to the Peace of Ghent^ isfc. For the use of Schools. 
By William Grimshaw. Philadelphia, 1819. Benjamin 
Vv'arncr. 12mo. pp. 300. 

'-^ We have copied so much of the title of this work, bare- 
ly to express our decided approbation o^ the book, and to 
recommend its general introduction into schools. It is one 
of the best books of the kind to be found, and is instructive 
even to an adult reader. We should be pleased that teach- 
t;rs would rank it among their class-books ; for it is well 
calculated to give correct impressions, to its readers, of the 
gradual progress of science, religion, government, and ma- 
ny other institutions, a knowledge of which is beneficial in 
the present age. Among the many striking merits of this 
book, are, the perspicuity of the narratives, and chasteness 
of the style. It is with no little pleasure we have learned, 
that the author has prepared a similar history of the United 
States ; a work long wanted, to fill up a deplorable chasm 
in the education of American youth." 

Analectic Magazine^ October^ 1819- 



" Mr. Grimshaw has wisely connected the literary and 
civile with the polemical history of England : the ecclesias- 
tical^ he has not wholly neglected : so that the minds of his 
readers are not entirely occupied, as they would be by too 
many historians, with the intrigues of a court, the strata- 
gems of a camp, and the carnage of the field. Most histo- 
ries may produce warriors ; but can never make men of 
A 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

science, or good citizens ; can never form the mind to vir- 
tuous habits. 

" With a better history for schools, in which the English 

language is spoken, than this, we have no acquaintance." 

Theological Review^ Jjiril.) 1819. 



« Philadeljihia, 28 June, 1819. 
t' Sir — I have read with pleasure and profit your Histo- 
ry of England. I think it is written with perspicuity, chaste- 
ness, and impartiality. Well written history is the best 
political instructor, and under a government in which it is 
the blessing of the country that the people govern, its pages 
should be constantly in the hands of our youth, and lie open 
to the humblest citizen in our wide-spread territories. 
Your book is eminently calculated thus to diffuse this im- 
portant knowledge, aiid therefore entitled to extensive cir- 
culation ; which I most cordially wish. With much re- 
spect, 

<< Your obedient servant, 
^ " Langdon Cheves. 

« William Grimshaw, Esq." 



« Mr. Grimshaw, 

'4 Sir — It has been impossible, in the time allotted mc, 
to find the leisure necessary for a careful perusal of the 
whole of your manuscript History of England. But it has 
been a very pleasant exercise, v/henever I could devote 
half an hour to the work. Indeed it has been an amuse- 
ment, the loss of which I should much regret, did I not 
hope very shortly to see it in print. Judging by the chap- 
ters which I have read, my mind is made up to recommend 
it to the Trustees and Faculty of the Asbury College. 

" Your style is pure ; your sentences agreeably musical ; 
your incidents judiciously chosen, so as to enrich the work ; 
your strictures upon the chai'acters of the princes and men 
in power, appear to me to be extremely just : and the whole 
narrative is conducted in a manner, well calculated to excite, 
in the mind of youth, sentiments highly refined, and hap- 
pily congenial to the spirit of our free government. 

" Entertaining an opinion so favourable to your endeav- 
our to supply our schools with a good abridgment of the 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

History of England, I cannot refuse you this little tribute of 
commendation. 

<' Wishing you a patronage as extensive as your work de- 
serves, I subscribe myself your obedient, 

" Samuel K. Jennings, 
<' President Asbury College^ Baltimore.'''' 



<-^ Baltimore, Sejii'r. 1818. 
i' Mr. Grimshaw, 

<' Sir — I have read, with much pleasure, your valuable 
History of England ; which, in my opinion, for delicacy of 
sentiment, purity of style, selection of matter, and strict 
impartiality, stands unrivalled by any similar production. 
I shall gladly embrace the opportunity of introducing it 
into my Academy. 

" Yours, with great respect, 

"Samuel Broy/n, Church street." 



" Historij of the United States, from their frst settlement 
as Colonies, to the Peace of Ghent, iJfc. By William 
Grimshaw, pp. 312, 12mo. 

" This is the third time, within the space of two years, 
that we have had occasion to review a volume from the 
hand of Mr. Grimshaw. He writes with great rapidity: 
and improves as he advances. This is the most correctly 
written of all his productions. We could wish that a per- 
son so well formed for close, and persevering study, as he 
must be, might find encouragement to devote himself to 
the interests of literature." 

" Mr. G. has our thanks for the best concise and com- 
prehensive history of the United States which we have 
^ctn.""— Theological Review, October, 1819. 



" Golgotha, P. EduHl. Fa. Sep. 26, 1820. 
^' Dear Sir, 

*' Mr. Grimshaw's ' History of the United States, 8cc.* 

was some time ago put into my hands by Mr. B , who 

requested me to give you my opinion as to the merits of 
the work. It is, perhaps, on the subject of revolutionary 
story, rather too compendious, and not sufficiently seasoned 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

with anecdote to captivate the young.* This defect, if it 
may be so called, originated, it is suspected, in a convic- 
tion, that Ramsay had done that subject justice ; but more 
especially in an inclination to afford a cheap book. The 
"history of the late war is well managed by your author: it 
has more of detail and interest than the former part ; and I 
consider it much superior to any of the many compilations 
on that subject, with which the public has been favoured. 
It may be said of the entire performance, that it is decided- 
ly the best chronological series, and the chastest historical 
narrative, suited to the capacity of the juvenile mind, thai 
has yet appeared. Its arrangement is judicious ; its style 
neat, always perspicuous, and often elegant ; and its prin- 
ciples sound. 

" American writings on men and things connected with 
America, have been long needed for the young ; and I am 
happy to find, that Mr. Grimshaw has not only undertaken 
to supply this want, but also to Americanize foreign history 
for the use of our schools. In a word, sir, I am so fond of 
American fabrics, and so anxious to show myself humbly 
instrumental in giving our youth American feeling and 
character whilst at school ; that I shall without hesitation 
recommend Mr. Grimshaw's works to my young pupils, as 
introductory to more extensive historical reading. In fine, 
the work is so unobjectionable, and puts so great a mass of 
necessary information within the reach of schoolboys, at so 
cheap a rate, that I feel the highest pleasure in recom- 
mending it to the public, and wish you extensive sales. 

" Your's respectfully, 

" William Branch Jr. 
'' Mr. Benjamin Warner, 

" Philadelphia:' 



" Js^ew York^ Columbia College.^ 
Jan. 8, 1822. 
"' W^M. Grimshaw, Esq. 

" Dear Sir, — As ifar as I have examined your books, 
I find much to commend. They contain much interesting 

* This objection, it is presumed, has been removed in the third 
edition ; as it contains many additional incidents relating to tliat pe- 
riod; some of which will be found highly amusing : and, to render it 
still more acceptable to schools, there have been published, for the 
History of the United States, a small book of Questions., and a Kev 
containing the Answers. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

and valuable information ; and are peculiarly appropriate 
for our Schools and Academies. 

*' With great respect, 
" Your obedient servant, 

*' Wm. Harris, President,^* 



if- Baltimore^ November 12, 1822o 
^' Dear Sir, 
*' The usual business of my academy has left me no lei- 
sure, till this moment, to acknowledge the receipt of your 
highly acceptable present. I have, notwithstanding, perus- 
ed your history of the United States, and am so well con- 
vinced of its superior excellence, that I shall immediately 
introduce it into my academy. 

" With the most sincere wishes that you may be amply 
compensated for the services you have rendered the rising 
generation, 

"I am, sir, with great respect, 

" Your most obedient servant, 

^' James Gould, 
^'' Wm. Grimshaw, Esq." 



*' D. Jaudon presents his respectful compliments to Mfo 
Grimshaw, and is much obliged by his polite attention, and 
the handsome compliment of his History of the United 
States with the Questions and Key. 

" Mr. J. has been in the use of this book for some timej 
but anticipates still more pleasure to himself, and profit to 
his pupils, in future, from the help and facility which the 
questions and key will afford in the study of these interest- 
ing pages. 

" October 10th, 1822." 



A 2 



*^^ Accompanying this Edition, there is a 
small book of Historical Questions, for the 
use of Schools ; also, for the convenience of 
Teachers, a Key, containing* tlie Answers. 



PREFACE. 



THE opinion of those gentlemen who examined the 
manuscript of my revised edition of Goldsmith's Roman 
History, having- been confirmed by its very favourable re- 
ception when published, I have complied with their wishes 
in a further undertaking. They advised, that I should 
either correct and free from its impurities the History of 
England, by the same author, or compose one, in accord- 
ance with the present taste. 

To the first mentioned task, I was decidedly inclined ; 
for two reasons — the popular attachment to a long estab- 
lished work, without reference to its author; and the uni- 
versal celebrity of Goldsmith, from the greatness of his ge- 
nius. To supersede a favourite book, is to deprive the 
public of a venerated acquaintance : to enter the lists 
against a favourite name, is to combat the powerful bias of 
education, and the natural infirmity of man. 

For those reasons, having intended the revisal of Gold- 
smith's History of England for the use of schools, I com- 
menced a critical examination of its contents. Had it been 
no further defective than his History of Rome, the attempt 
might have been accomplished, with satisfaction to myself, 
and advantage to the public. But objections accumulated 
in my progress. Ta the faults attending all the historical 
compositions of Goldsmith, owing to confusion, indelicacy, 
and grammatical inaccuracy, there was added another ob- 
stacle ; most momentous indeed, and insurmountable — the 
absence of material events. His Roman History, I con- 
ceived, was sufficiently comprehensive. From what cause, 
then, proceeded this unexpected vacuity ? — The account 
of hib writings gave me satisfactory explanation. I there 
found, what I had indeed suspected, but what is little 
known — that his History of England was not abridged by 
the Doctor himself ; but that public credulity has been 
made the instrument of an egregious fraud : a fraud, equally 
injurious to the memory of a much respected individual, 
and the important purposes of useful education. 

The design of revising Goldsmith's history was, there- 
fore, abandoned, and this original work written in its plaqa. 



iy PREFACE. 

Few writers have excelled Goldsmith, in readiness ol" 
M it, in elegance, in facility of composition. Few have ex- 
perienced more trials of distress ; the effects of unbounded 
generosity, or of unguarded simplicity. " Whilst he was 
composing the comedy of the < Good Natured Man,' and 
preparing to take a more successful flight in his fine poem 
of the 'Deserted Village,' he wrote, for present support, at 
the instance of the booksellers, a series of histories, which 
he never considered as conducive to his fame. These 
were, his Roman History, in two volum^es, an Abridgment 
of the same, and his History of England ; which are of- 
ten superficial and inaccurate." — So, says his biographer. 
Thus, whilst he poured forth, with unexampled rapidity, 
those imperfect productions of the hand^ his mind labour- 
ed, with unwearied assiduity, in acquiring for the name of 
Goldsmith a posthumous renown ; and the effort was ac- 
complished. That name will long be cherished : — after the 
graven marble, the friendly tribute to departed genius, has, 
ibr ages, crumbled into dust, the monument which he him- 
self had raised, will still remain, uninjured and admired. 

In forming a work of this kind, there are chiefly three 
objects to be kept in view — a judicious selection of im- 
portant events, a moderate interspersion of amusement, 
and occasional reflections, which may guard the reader 
against the imitation of vice, or inculcate the love of virtue. 
The narrative should not be exhausted on the infidelity of 
a queen, or the erection of a scaffold ; upon the protracted 
siege, or the countermarching of an army : entertainment 
should be free from ribaldry, and praise should be v/ithheld 
from the commission of enormity. When we have weari- 
ed the reader with the minute recital of a fictitious plot, 
we should look back, lest we have omitted the Fire of Lon- 
don :* we should consider, that a story may be humorous 
yet offensive, and avoid recommending intrigues and vir- 
tues as joint recommendations to a throne. f 

A book designed for elementary instruction, should in- 
culcate no doctrines foreign to the relations of the reader. 
Principles, favourable to the support of a constitutional 
monarchy, though they may be very excusable in England, 
should not be instilled into the youth of the United States. 
Such expressions as " our most gracious majesty," and 
" we, his most loving subjects," are totally absurd, and 

* Reign of Charles 11. in Goldsmith's vibridg-ed History, 
f Harold, in the ssme. 



PREFACE. V 

border too much on the ridiculous, when uttered by the 
children of a republic. 

As regards the selection of matter, I presume, that a 
larger portion of this, than of any similar work, is devoted 
to those incidents, and those characters, in the peaceful 
walks of society, which are the legitimate subjects of his- 
tory, show the genius and manners of the age, the laws and 
administration of government, the achievements of science, 
the progress of arts and manufactures, the extension of 
commerce, the downfall of superstition, the triumphs of the 
spirit of religious liberty, — and form the brightest, noblest 
features, of a nation. 

The history, from which some impudent scribbler has 
compiled the duodecimo volume of England, does not dis- 
play a serious disproportion in its principal and subordi- 
nate parts; in its political events, and mere matter of amuse- 
ment. But, unfortunately, the abridging has destroyed the 
equilibrium. Those hasty sallies of the Doctor, and those 
flashy antitheses, which were intended only as an agreeable 
seasoyiing-y are given with so extravagant a hand, that the 
banquet is completely spoiled. The lights, which, before, 
were judiciously arranged, and enlivened the entertainment, 
are now collected in a body, and blaze is substituted for 
utility. Those distorted sentences, which may justly be 
styled literary economy, or metaphor burlesqued, and 
winch, when diffiised, were less easily perceived, might 
have been advantageously repressed ; or, when introduced, 
should have been expanded, or explained. 

Other defects of this inconsiderate reduction, are most 
glaringly perceptible. The transitions are not unfrequent- 
\y made without the smallest regard to the relation which 
preceded ; passages are referred to, vv'hich are no where to 
be found, except in the original ; and, persons are rudely 
and unexpectedly presented, in the usual manner of fami- 
liar acquaintance. 

Every language has acquired a colloquial idiom. Per- 
haps not any is more corrupted by it than our own. No 
style gives a greater facility to a writer ; none is better 
adapted to a familiar correspondence ; but there is none 
which presents more difficulty to a foreigner, or should be 
more carefully avoided by the historian. The rapidity with 
which Goldsmith compiled, for pecuniary emolument, has, 
naturally, caused the admission of the most vulgar of those 
expressions. These are, in the highest degree, injurious 
to the reader j for, he will in general acquire the very 



\i PREFACE. 

phrases, and the very manner, of his author. As I huvt; 
early been aware of this fault, so I have, in the present, 
and in my former work, endeavoured to avoid it. To a 
young writer, the task is difficult ; in its accomplishment 
even the most experienced are not always successful. 

On the subject of indelicacy, some remarks can, advan- 
tageously, be made. What I shall advance may not be 
universally agreeable ; for, though all should admit their 
justness, a few may feel offended, because convicted by their 
truth. As to the opinion of the latter, I am totally regard- 
less : their censure or their praise is equally unavailing. 

Whilst we acknowledge the difficulty under which the 
historian labours, of avoiding offensive language, we must 
also confess, that somie writers employ more than is de- 
manded by the subject : but, we must admit, that many 
terms, which are not only harmless, but elegant and essen- 
tial, are rendered disagreeable, by habitual, and improper 
association — by the use, which, behind-backs^ is immorally 
made of words, that, if restored to their proper destination, 
Delicacy herself need not be ashamed to utter. How sur- 
prising to a teacher, how distressing to a parent, when 
language is thus interpreted by the reader — perhaps a fe- 
male, who stammers without ablush; and,- whilst she seeks 
to impress the idea of modesty and refinement, only betrays 
the conversation of her retirement. 

If these verbal contaminations be suffered to proceed, 
our whole stock, in the course of time, will be corrupted ; 
and the Latin^ or some o'Ctv^v foreign language, must, again, 
be used, upon elevated subjects: or, there must be erected, 
a national institution, to replace, with proportionate indus- 
try, those words which have been perverted from their 
original import. 

No expressions have been admitted here, tending, in the 
.smallest degree, to injure the taste of the reader by their 
vulgarity, or to wound the feelings of youth by their indeli- 
cacy : no sentiments to rouse the demon of religious intol- 
erance, or to inflame the rancour of political animosity. 
Without rising to the language of affectation, a writer may 
be elegant : without sinking to the monosyllables of the 
nursery, he may be perspicuous ; he may inculcate piety 
without cant, and patriotism without extravagance. 



Philadelfihia, Feb. 15, 1819. 



THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE ROMANS. 



The invasions by Julius Caesar ; ivith a dcscvi}ition of the 
Manners^ and civil and religious State^ of the ancient 
Inhabitants. 

PROTECTED by her insular situation, Britain long re- 
mained unnoticed by the Romans, and undisturbed by the 
effects of their insatiable ambition. When, however, tlie 
successful enterprises of Julius Caesar, had extended their 
dominion over all the provinces of Gaul, the ardent desire 
of further glory led that celebrated commander to her shores. 

At this period, our history commences. All previous ac- 
counts are either the extravagant inventions of the Greek 
and Roman merchants, or the poetical fictions of the do- 
mestic bards. 

^ Csesar, with some veteran troops, sailed about 

» 1^ midnight from the coast of Gaul, and, on the ensu- 

' * ing morning, landed near Deal. But his visit was 
very short. After several battles with the unoffend- 
ing natives, which induced a few of their sovereigns to feign 
submission, the non-arrival of his cavalry, and approach of 
winter, constrained him to return. 

The Britains had promised hostages for their future 
obedience. Relieved, however, from their alarm, they ne- 
glected the performance of their stipulations : for which 
breach of treaty, the haughty Roman determined to chas- 
tise them in the following summer. Accordingly, he came 
over with a greater force ; and, though he found a more 
regular resistance, the inhabitants having united under 
Cassivelaunus, one of their petty chieftains, he defeated 
them in every action. He then advanced into the country, 
passed the Thames, in the face of his enemy, and burned 
B 



« HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the capital of the British commander. Fresh submissions 
being procured, he again withdrew into Gaul ; leaving an 
authority which was more nominal than real. 

From the writings of Julius Caesar, and other Roman 
authors, we discern the manners, customs, and mode of 
warfare, of the Britains, at the time of the first invasion ; 
and, from the same authorities, we are informed of their 
origin. These accounts invariably represent them as a 
tribe of the Gauls or Celtae, who had passed over from the 
neighbouring continent. The language of the one was the 
same as that spoken by the other. But the little refine- 
ment in arts, which the inhabitants of those provinces of 
Gaul, bordering on Italy, possessed, had, as yet, made 
small progress amongst the Britains. In the south-east 
parts, however, before the time of Caesar, they had made 
some advances towards civilization ; and, by the practice of 
agriculture, were there enabled to live in closely inhabited 
districts. The other natives of the island still maintained 
themselves by pasture. They were partially clothed in 
skins : the uncovered parts of their bodies were painted, so 
as to excite terror in their enemies ; and, like all other peo- 
ple in primeval rudeness, they shifted their habitations as 
necessity demanded. Had we not the respectable testimo- 
ny of Caesar, we should be inclined to doubt the correct- 
ness of history, in regard to their means of military annoy- 
ance. That perspicuous author gives a particular account 
of chariots, used by the Britains, with surprising address, 
in battle. These, they impetuously drove against the ene- 
my's ranks ; and, sometimes alighting from their powerful 
machines, the warriors fought as infantry, on foot. 

All the Britains were divided into small tribes, or na- 
tions ; and, though their governments were monarchal, yet 
the people were free. They had early acquired a relish 
for liberty, the common birthright of mankind ; and of which 
they can be deprived, only by their intestine feuds, or their 
culpable supineness. Their religion formed the mainspring 
of their government ; and the Druids, who were their 
priests, maintained over them very powerful influence. 
Besides directing all religious duties, they superintended 
the education of youth : they possessed both the civil and 
the criminal jurisdiction; and inflicted upon all who re- 
fused to submit to their decrees, penalties so severe, that 
death itself became an acceptable relief. They practised 
their rites in dark and sequestered groves ; and, to invest 
them in mysterious obscurity, forbade the committing of 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 9 

their ceremonies to writing. No idolatrous worship ever 
attained so great influence over the human mind, as that 
which was inculcated by the Druids; so that, the Romans, 
though they had not before resorted to such a measure, 
finding it impossible to establish their institutions, where it 
held its authority, at last abolished the practice of the 
Druidical mysteries. We cannot, however, even in this 
case, approve of their interference; for, though we may with 
impunity persuade, we have no power given us to justify 
compulsion. Yet, it is scarcely fair, to judge the actions 
of a Heathen, by the enlightened doctrines of Christianity. 



CHAPTER H. 

From the departure of Julius Cdesar^ to the Jinalivithdraiv- 
ing of the Romans. 

THE civil wars which ensued amongst the Romans, 
saved the Britains from the yoke which was ready to be 
imposed upon them. Augustus, the successor of Julius 
Caesar, was contented with the victory which he had gained 
over the liberties of his own country ; and, fearing that the 
continued extension of dominion, wliich had subverted the 
republic, might have a similar effect upon the imperial 
government, recommended that the territory of Rome 
should never be enlarged. 
. y^ They had, therefore, for nearly a century, remain- 

"' ' ' ed unmolested. But the Romans, under Claudius, 
began seriously to contemplate their subjection. 
Accordingly, they sent over an army with Plautius, an able 
general ; who, in the south-east parts, made considerable 
progress in conquering this inoffensive people. Soon after, 
the emperor himself arrived ; and, in those districts, received 
the submission of several petty states. The other Britains, 
headed by Caractacus, maintained an obstinate resistance ; 
and, against them, the Romans gained little advantage, until 
Ostorius Scapula was sent over to coinmand their armies. 
This general was more successful. He pierced into the 
country of the Silures; a warlike nation who inhabited the 
banks of the Severn ; defeated Caractacus, took him prison- 
er, and sent him to Rome ; where the magnanimous beha- 
viour of this valiant chief, procured him better treatment 
than was generally experienced by captive princes. 



10 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

His countrymen, however, were not yet subdued ; and 
the Romans regarded them as a people, from whom mili- 
tary glory might still be gained. In the reign of Nero, the 
command was given to Paulinas Suetonius ; who prepared 
to distinguish himself, by victories over these rude and un- 
disciplined forces. He sheuld have known, that those 
laurels, which are gathered within the trenches of a barba- 
rian, are unworthy of the hero. With the expiring shout 
of the giddy multitude, they drop from the victor's brow, 
withered and forgotten. 

Finding that the island of Mona, now Anglesea, was the 
chief retreat of^the Druids, he resolved to subject that 
place ; the centre of their superstition, and the usual re- 
treat of the baffled forces. On this sacred ground, the Brit- 
ains endeavoured to prevent his landing, by every means 
which they could devise. The women and the priests in- 
termingled with the soldiers ; and, running about with 
flaming torches in their hands, tossing their disheveled 
hair, and pouring forth their bowlings and lamentations, 
c*aused more terror than the real dangers from the army. 
But Suetonius, by his address, impelled the Romans to the 
attack. He drove the Britains off the field ; burned the 
Druids in those fires which they had prepared for their 
captive enemies ; and, having thus triumphed over their 
religion, thought that his future progress would be easy. 

But, in this, he was disappointed. The Britains, headed 
by Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, a princess who had been 
ignominiously treated by the Roman tribunes, attacked, 
■with success, many settlements of the insulting conquerors. 
Suetonius hastened to the protection of London ; then, a 
flourishing Roman colony ; but which, in order to consult 
the general safety, he was obliged to abandon. It was re- 
duced to ashes ; and all who were found there, were, through 
retaliation, massacred, by the Britains. But this cruelty 
was revenged by the Roman general, in a great and deci- 
sive battle ; and Boadicea, rather than fall into the hands of 
the enraged victor, ended her life by poison. 

Suetonius, not long after, was recalled from the govern- 
ment of a people, whose natural temper, irritated by their 
suff*erings, he appeared so little calculated to soften or ap- 
pease. 

The general that eventually established the Roman pow- 
er in Britain, was Agricola; who governed it in the reigns 
of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. He conquered all the 
southern parts; carried his victorious arms into the forests 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 11 

lancl mountains of Caledonia, which is now called Scotland; 
driving before him all the fierce and intractable portion of 
the inhabitants, who preferred any deprivation to a state of 
servitude. He then ordered his fleet to sail along the coast 
(by which voyage the Romans first ascertained that 
Britain was an island,) and formed between the friths 
of Forth and Clyde, a rampart and a chain of garrisons ; 
which secured the Roman provinces from their incursions * 
During these military employments, Agricola was not in- 
attentive to the arts of peace. He introduced amongst the 
Britains laws and civility ; gave them a taste for the pur- 
suits of agriculture; instructed them in letters and science; 
used every means to reconcile them to subjection; and 
gradually incorporated them with the empire. 

The Britains gave no further inquietude ; but the Cale- 
donians, defended by their barren mountains, which se- 
cured them a retreat, made frequent incursions upon the 
cultivated lands. The better to protect the frontiers, 
Adrian, who visited the island, built a strong rampart be- 
tween the river Tyne and the frith of Solway ; a defence 
afterwards strengthened by a wall ; traces of which remain 
at the present day. This was erected by Severus ; who, after 
repelling the invaders, died at York : from which time, so 
profound a tranquillity prevailed in Britain, during all the 
emperors' reigns, that little mention is made of it by any 
historian. 

But, that stupendous fabric, which had extended its con- 
quests over so great a portion of the globe, began, at length, 
to approach its dissolution. Those l^arbarous nations of 
the continent, who had long been under the government of 
the Romans, had, whilst in the service of their conquerors, 
added discipline to their native bravery ; and, allured by 
the prospect of so great a prize, they assailed, at once, the 
frontiers of the empire. The Romans were now obliged 
to concentrate their domestic legions, in which, only, they 
could place reliance ; and collected their whole military 
force for the preservation of the capital and the adjacent 
provinces : those troops, therefore, which had held Britain 

* It is extraordinary, that the En^^lish historians mention this voy- 
age as liaving discovered the insular situation of Britain ; thus, over- 
looking a term repeatedly used by Cxsar, in his Commentaries. Fop 
instance: "Tamen, majmo sibi usui fore arbitrabatur, si modo insuiam 
adisset, genus homiuum perspexissel ; loca, portus, aditus cognovis- 
set." Lib. iv. xx. 

B 2 



1-2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

in subjection, and guarded it from the incursions of its 
northern invaders, were withdrawn. 

The Picts and Scots, who inhabited those regions which 
lay beyond the defences formed by the Romans, now made 
irruptions; threatening^^the whole province with depreda- 
tion and conquest. The former it is thought, were a tribe 
of Britains, who had been chased into the northern parts 
by Agricola. The latter were of the same Celtic origin ; 
and were, previously, established in Ireland. These bar- 
barians broke over the Roman wall; and, though a contemp- 
tible enemy, they met with no resistance from the unwar- 
iike inhabitants. In this situation, the Britains applied to 
Rome, and obtained for their relief one legion; which soon 
drove the invaders into their ancient limits. The return, 
however, of this force, to the defence of the southern pro- 
vinces of the empire, was a signal for a fresh invasion; 
which, by the assistance of a legion, was again repelled. 
But the Romans, reduced to extremity at home, could no 
longer afford succour to the Britains: and, after generously 
assisting them in renewing the wall of Severus, they bade 
^ o a final adieu ; having been masters of the greater 

part of the island for nearly four centuries. 
The earliest example of successful attention to literature, 
given by a native of the subjected districts, was by Helena, 
the daughter of Coilus, a tributary king of Britain, wife of 
the Roman emperor, Constantius Chlorus, and mother of 
Constantino the great, who was born in Britain. There 
was no woman of her time more accomplished, either in 
letters or the polite ^rts, or of more amiable disposition-. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE BRITAINS. 

UNABLE to protect themselves against their rapacious 
jieighbours, the Britains regarded this present of liberty as 
a misfortune. The flower of their youth having accom- 
panied Gratian and Constantino, two Romans who made an 
imsuccessful attempt on the imperial throne, the people 
were deprived of the assistance of those who were the 
Tnost capable of uniting them by their advice. The Picts 
and Scots, relieved from the terror of the Roman arms, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 



lo 



jilow regarded Britain as their prize ; and poured in with 
unabated ferocity. The Britains again made application to 
their former masters. Their ambassadors carried to Rome 
a letter from their countrymen ; which was entitled, " The 
Groans of the Britains." The tenor of the epistle corres- 
ponded with the superscription ; " The barbarians, on the 
one hand, chase us into the sea : the sea, on the other, 
throws us back upon the barbarians ; so that we have only 
the hard choice left us, of perishing by the sword or by the 
waves." 

But the Romans, pressed by the arms of Attila, the most 
formidable enemy that had ever assailed the empire, had 
no leisure to attend to the supplication of allies. Thus re- 
jected, they abandoned their habitations ; and, flying for 
refuge to the forests and mountains, suffered equally by 
hunger and by the enemy ; until the barbarians, unable to 
exist in a land which they had desolated, retreated, with 
their spoils, into their own country. 

Relieved from the presence of their invaders, the Britains 
returned to their usual occupations ; and soon forgot their 
miseries, in the comforts which succeeded. But they ne- 
glected to make provision against any future attacks. The 
precarious authority, enjoyed by the chiefs, in the various 
districts independent of each other, created a disunion, 
which greatly militated against the whole ; and to this dis- 
advantage, were added, their religious disputes, arising 
from the schismatical doctrines of Pelagius. Labouring 
under these domestic evils, and threatened by a foreign in- 
vasion, they sent into Germany, to implore the aid of the 
Saxons. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE SAXONS. 

THE ancient Germans were the most distinguished of 
all the barbarous nations, for their valour and their attach- 
ment to liberty. Even when a monarchy was at any time 
established amongst them, the sovereign was directed, in 
every measure, by the approbation of the people. No un- 
principled despot was allowed the pOAver of sporting with 
the life, or with the property, of his fellow being. When 



J4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

any important question was to be debated, the warriors met 
in arms ; and freely expressed their disapproval, or their 
assent: the former by their murmurs; the latter, by the 
rattling of their armour. Their leaders' were chosen for 
their merit ; chiefly for their valour : and the contributions 
which they levied, were merely for subsistence ; the honour 
of exalted rank being the only reward of their dangers and 
fatigues. 

Of all those tribes, the Saxons were the most distinguish- 
ed. War was their principal employment. 

They had spread themselves from the most northern 
parts of Germany ; had taken possession of all the sea-coast, 
from the mouth of the Rhine to Jutland ; and had long in- 
fested, by their piracies, the southern parts of Britain and 
the northern parts of Gaul. It may, therefore, reasonably 
be supposed, that they gladly accepted the invitation of 
the simple Britains. 

Under the conduct of Hengist and Horsa, two 
brothers of great authority, the Saxons, amounting 
to sixteen-hundred, landed on the isle of Thanet ; and, im- 
mediately marching against the Picts and Scots, made 
them fly before them. But these chiefs were determined 
to conquer only for their own advantage. They soon re- 
ceived a reinforcement of five-thousand of their country- 
men, raised a dispute with the Britains, and formed an al- 
liance with the Picts and Scots. A dreadful scene ensued, 
of slaughter, rapine, and devastation. The bravery of Vor- 
timer, whom the Britains placed at their head, instead of 
his ignoble father, Vortigern, could preserve, only for a 
short time, his degenerate compatriots. Some remained 
in servitude under their treacherous victors : some fled to 
Gaul and there founded the province of Brittany ; and others 
took shelter in the remote parts of Cornwall and Wales. 

To share in the general plunder, the Northern hordes 
came over in succession. The invaders were chiefly Sax- 
ons, Angles, and Jutes; who all spoke the same language, 
and passed under the common appellation, sometimes of 
Saxons, sometimes of Angles. But, neither amusement 
nor instruction would be given, by a tedious detail of the 
barbarous names of those adventurers, who participated 
in the equally barbarous transactions of that age. The 
native characters are scarcely more worthy of remark. 
The only person of interest was Arthur, prince of the Si- 
lures ; who, by his heroic valour, about the year 508, sus- 
tained the declining fortunes of his country, and was much 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 15 

celebrated by the ancient bards ; but his achievements are 
blended with so many fables, as almost to induce a doubt of 
his existence. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE HEPTARCHY. 

AFTER a violent contest, of nearly one-hundred-and- 
fifty years, seven kingdoms were formed in Britain; known 
by the name of the Saxon Heptarchy. These were Kent, 
Sussex, Wessex, East-Anglia, Mercia, Essex, and North- 
umberland ; the respective conquests of Hengist, ^11 a, 
Cerdic and his son Kenric, Uffa, Crida, Erkenwin, and 
Ethelfrid. The kingdom of Kent comprised \he counties 
now known by the names of Kent, Middlesex, and Essex, 
and a part of Surry: Sussex or South Saxony, the county 
of Sussex, and the remainder of Surry : Wessex, or West 
Saxony, Hants, Dorset, Wilts, Berks, and the Isle of 
Weight: East-Anglia, Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk. 
Mercia extended over all the middle counties, from the 
banks of the Severn, to the frontiers of East-Anglia and 
Essex, Essex or East Saxony included Essex, Middlesex, 
and a part of Hertfordshire; Northumberland, the counties 
of Northumberland and Durham, and some of the eastern 
counties of Scotland. 

The whole southern part of the island, except Wales 
and Cornwall, which still remained unsubdued, had total- 
ly changed its inhabitants, language, customs, and political 
institutions. The Britains, under the Roman dominion, had 
advanced so far, in arts and civilization, that they had built 
twenty-eight considerable cities, besides a great number of 
villages; but their Saxon conquerors threw every thing 
back into its ancient barbarity. 

Q- At this period, there occurred a happy and me- 

morable event ; the contemplation of which relieves 
us fi'om the disagreeable feelings excited by the disgusting 
transactions of those ages. The Briti^ih Saxons were now 
taught the benign principles of Christianity. The ancient 
inhabitants of the districts which the former had usurped, 
were, from the earliest promulgation of that sacred religion, 
f-nrolled amongst its votaries : but its practice had ceased 



16 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

in those parts, upon their dispersion, and was confined to 
Wales, the remote country of their retreat. The supersti- 
tion of the British Saxons, in common with that of their 
German brethren of the Continent, was of the grossest and 
most barbarous kind. They were idolaters: they worship- 
ed the sun and moon ; and adored the god of thunder, by 
the name of Thor. But, Woden, whom they conceived 
was the ancestor of all their princes, and regarded as the 
god of war, naturally became their supreme deity, and the 
chief object of their worship. They believed, that if they 
gained the favour of this divinity, by their valour, (the 
most esteemed virtue amongst barbarians,) they would be 
admitted after death, into his hall, and there, satiate them- 
selves with ale, from the skulls of their enemies whom 
they had slain in battle. 

Previous to his ascending the papal chair, Gregory, sur- 
named the Great, had observed in the streets of Rome, 
some Saxon "j^ouths, of interesting appearance, and struck 
with the beauty of their blooming countenances, asked, to 
what country they belonged. Being told that they were 
Angles ; he replied, that they ought, more properly, to be 
denominated Angels ; that it was a pity the prince of 
darkness should enjoy so fair a prey ; and that so beautiful 
an exterior should cover a mind devoid of righteousness 
and grace. He then inquired the name of their king. Be- 
ing informed that it was Ella; t« Allelujah," cried he: "we 
must endeavour that the praises of God be sung in their 
country." Moved by these happy allusions, when he ob- 
tained the pontificate, he appointed Augustine, a pious 
monk, to undertake the laudable, but dangerous, duty, of 
converting the British Saxons to Christianity. 

A favourable incident had prepared the way for intro- 
ducing Christianity amongst these people. Ethelbert, king 
of Kent, had married Bertha, the daughter of Caribert, king 
of Paris, one of the descendants of Clovis, the conqueror 
of Gaul ; which princess, being of the Christian faith, had 
brought over with her a French bishop, and conducted her- 
self in so irreproachable a manner, as to support its virtuous 
precepts by a virtuous example ; and employed every art 
of insinuation and address, to reconcile her husband to her 
religion. 

Having arrived at the isle of Thanet, Augustine sent an 
interpreter to Ethelbert, the king of Kent, (a great-grand- 
son of the first Saxon invader, Hengist) declaring, that he 
had been sent from Rome with offers of eternal salvation. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 17 

Ethelbert invited Augustine to his court. He was then 
informed, by the pious stranger, that everlasting joys, and 
a kingdom without end, would be the reward of his em- 
bracing the Christian religion. — " Your words and pro- 
mises," replied the king, " are fair ; but, as they are new, 
and uncertain, I cannot, immediately, relinquish the prin- 
ciples which I have inherited from my ancestors. You 
are welcome, however, to remain here in peace : I will 
supply you with all necessaries, and permit you to explain 
your doctrine to my subjects." 

This conduct of Ethelbert was sensible and generous ; 
worthy of imitation, even at the present day. He soon 
espoused the religion of Augustine ; and his subjects, also, 
with the inhabitants of the other Saxon kingdoms, were, 
in a short time, converted to Christianity. 

Ethelbert's conversion, joined to his matrimonial alliance, 
produced an intercourse with the French, the Italians, and 
other nations of the Continent. This had a happy effect. 
It raised his subjects from the ignorance and barbarity, in 
which all the Saxon tribes had been long involved. With 
the consent of his people, he enacted a body of laws ; the 
first that any of the northern conquerors committed to 
writing. 

After many revolutions, this monarchy, which, on the 
death of Ethelbert, descended to his son Eadbald, fell, with 
the others of the Heptarchy, under the dominion of *Eg- 
bert, king of Wessex ; who united them into one kingdom, 
which he named England ; signifying the land of the Angles. 

The Saxons who subdued Britain, as they had enjoyed 
great liberty in their own country, obstinately maintained 
that blessing in their new settlement. Their kings possess- 
ed a very limited authority. So far from being entitled to 
an arbitrary power, they were only the first among the citi- 
zens. Their influence depended more on their personal 
qualities, than on their station. They were even so much 
on a level with the other inhabitants, that a stated price 
was afiixed on their head; and their murderer was exon- 
erated by the payment of a fine, in the same manner as for 
the murder of the meanest subject. All the kingdoms of 
the heptarchy were, occasionally, united ; and in each there 
was a national council, called a Wittenagemot, or assembly 
of the wise men ; whose consent was required for enacting 
laws, and ratifying the chief acts of administration. 

The Anglo-Saxons, in common with all the northern na- 
tions of Europe, were not very strict in maintaining a regu- 



18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

lar succession of their princes. Though they paid great 
respect to the royal family, they either had no rule, or none 
that was steadily observed, in filling- the vacant throne. If 
any king, on his death, left a son, of an age and capacity 
fit for government, he naturally ascended the throne ; but, 
if he was a minor, it was occupied by his uncle, or the next 
prince of the blood. All these changes liowever, and in- 
deed the ordinary administration of government, required 
the express concurrence, or at least the implied consent, of 
the people. 

The punishments inflicted by the Anglo-Saxon courts of 
judicature, as well as the proofs employed, were different 
from those which prevail amongst all civilized nations, in 
the present age. Indemnity for all kinds of wounds re- 
ceived, and for death itself, was fixed, by the Saxon laws, 
at a regular price. A wound of an inch long, under the 
hair, was recompensed by one shilling ; a scar, of equal size, 
upon the face, by two shillings ; thirty shillings were re- 
ceived for the loss of an ear; and other scars were compen- 
sated in proportion. Their mode of evidence was still 
further dissimilar to the modern practice. When any con- 
troversy about a fact became too intricate for their judges 
to unravel, they had recourse to (what they called) the judg- 
ment of God ; that is, to fortune ; and their methods of 
consulting this oracle were various. The most remarkable 
custom was by the ordeal. It was practised, generally, by 
boiling water, or red-hot iron. The water or iron being 
consecrated by many ceremonies, the person accused either 
took up a stone immersed in the former a certain depth, 
or carried the iron a certain distance ; and his hand being 
then wrapped up, and the covering sealed for three days, 
if there appeared, on examination, no marks of burning, he 
was pronounced innocent ; if otherwise, guilty. The trial 
by cold water, was different. Into this, the culprit was 
thrown, his feet and his hands being tied. If he swam, he 
"was guilty; if he sunk, he was considered innocent; though, 
to us, it appears extraordinary, that any innocent person 
could ever be acquitted by the one trial, or any criminal be 
convicted by the other. 

This purgation by ordeal seems to have been very an- 
cient, and universal in the times of superstitious barbar- 
ity. It was known to the ancient Greeks ; and there is 
also a very peculiar species of water-ordeal, said to prevail 
amongst the Indians, on the coast of Malabar ; where, a 
person, accused of any enormous crime, is obliged to swim 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 19 

over a broad river, abounding with crocodiles ; and, if he 
escapes unhurt, he is reputed innocent. In Siam, too, be- 
sides the usual methods of fire and water ordeal, both par- 
ties are sometimes exposed to the fury of a tiger, let loose 
for that purpose : and, if the beast spares either, that person 
is accounted innocent ; if neither, both are held to be guil- 
ty ; but, if he spares both, the trial is incomplete. 

It is easy, to trace out the traditional relics of this water 
ordeal, in the ignorant barbarity, still practised in many- 
countries, to discover witches, by casting them into a pool 
of water, and drowning them to prove their innocence. 

The most ancient British historian was Gildas ; from 
whose writings, dated about the middle of the sixth centu- 
ry, are derived the only information of that period. John 
of Beverly, archbishop of York, who died in the year 721, 
was one of the best scholars of his time ; and his pupil, 
Bede, though possessing all the puerile credulity of those 
days, shone as a meteor, in the darkness of a barbarous 
age. 



CHAPTER VL 

ENGLAND. 

.EgDe}*l^ Ethchoolf^ Ethelbald and Ethelbert^ Ethelred^ Al- 
fred the Great, Edward the Elder, Athehtan, Edmuyid^ 
Edred, Ednvy, Edgar, Edward the Martyr, Ethelred 
the seco7id, Edmund Ironside. 

^<^_ FROM this period, our history will be less diffi- 
cult of delineation, and more interesting to the read- 
er ; as the materials are concentrated, and the events as- 
sume some degree of resemblance to those of the present 
age. 

The inhabitants of the several provinces showed no de- 
sire of revolting from the authority of Egbert. Their lan- 
guage and laws, their customs and religion, were, every 
where, nearly the same ; and, in all the subjected states, 
the race of their ancient kings was totally extinct. 

By living in the court, and serving in the armies, of 
Charlemagne, Egbert acquired those accomplishments, 
which afterv/ards enabled him to make so shining a figure 
on the throne, 
C 



20 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Governed by a monarch of superior talents and the high- 
est degree of prudence, and strengthened by their political 
union, the people had reason to expect, that, thencefor- 
ward, they would be guarded against inroad and devasta- 
tion. But these flattering hopes were soon destroyed. 
The Danes, who, at that period, committed most barbarous 
ravages, appeared upon the coast. The causes which pro- 
duced the invasions by this formidable enemy, deserve at- 
tention. The emperor Charlemagne, though naturally 
generous and humane, had been led, by an erroneous ap- 
plication of the Christian doctrine, to use great severity 
against the pagan Saxons in Germany ; and had obliged 
them, to make a seeming renunciation of idolatry. But 
that religion, which had been easily introduced amongst 
the British Saxons, by persuasion and address, appeared 
odious to their German brethren, when imposed upon them 
by the sword. The most warlike of these fled into Jutland, 
to escape the fury of persecution ; and, assisted by the peo- 
ple of that country, they invaded the provinces of France ; 
then but feebly protected by the degenerate posterity of 
Charlemagne ; and, under the name of Normans, (signify- 
ing men of the north,) became the terror of all whom they 
attacked. 

Their first appearance, in Britain, was in the year 787. 
The English, being of the same religion as the French, 
were equally the object of retaliation. The next alarm was 
given about six years afterwards ; when a body of these pi- 
rates robbed a monastery. But their ships being damaged 
in a storm, and their leader slain, they were at last defeat- 
ed. These were only the precursors of more serious at- 
tacks: the Danes followed their example; and now 
began those formidable invasions, which make so 
considerable a figure in the history of those times. They 
were, however, by the activity of Egbert, driven from the 
kingdom. 

Ethehvolf, the son of Egbert, had neither the 
vigour, nor the abilities of his father. He was bet- 
ter qualified for governing a convent than a kingdom. He 
divided his dominions ; and gave the provinces of Essex, 
Kent, and Sussex, to his eldest son, Athelstan. 

The incursions of the Danes had now become almost an- 
nual ; and every part of England v.^as exposed to continual 
alarm. Their vessels, being small, were easily run up the 
creeks and rivers ; upon the banks of which they were 
drawn ashore ; where, an intrenchment was formed around 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 21 

tliem, and guarded by a part of their number. The rest 
then scattered themselves over the country ; and, carrying 
away the inhabitants and the cattle, they all hastened to 
their boats, and quickly disappeared. 

Athelstan having died, and Ethelwolf being absent, on 
a pilgrimage, at Rome, Ethelbald, the second son, formed 
a project for dethroning his father. This induced the king 
to make a second partition of his dominions ; and give to 
Ethelbald the sovereignty of the western division. After 
this, Ethelwolf lived only two years. He left four sons, 
Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethelred and Alfred ; having, by his 
will, divided England between the two eldest. 

The ecclesiastics now made rapid advances in the acqui- 
sition of power and grandeur. Though parishes had been 
instituted in England nearly two centuries before, the cler- 
gy had not, until the present reign, got possession of the 
tythes : but, a superstitious and imbecile monarch being on 
the throne, when the people were discouraged by their 
losses from the Danes, and terrified by the fear of future 
invasions, they were susceptible of any impression, that 
bore the appearance of religion ; unable to discern that, 
though all the Mosaic law was binding on the Jews, only 
the moral part of it was obligatory on Christians. 

_ Ethelbald was a profligate prince; and lived but 

a short time after obtaining the government of his 
province. Ethelbert, who united his deceased brother's 
division with his own, conducted himself, during a five 
years' reign, in a manner more becoming his birth and situ- 
ation, and defeated the Danes, with considerable loss, at 
Winchester. 

Ethelbert was succeeded by his brother Ethel- 
red; who, though he defended himself with brave- 
ry, enjoyed, during his whole reign, no cessation of the 
Danish irruptions. 

„ Alfred, (the youngest son of Ethelwolf) who fol- 

lowed his brother, Ethelred, gave early indications 
of those great virtues, and illustrious talents, by which, in 
the most difficult circumstances, he saved his country from 
bondage and from ruin. He was now twenty-two years of 
age. When a boy, he had been twice in Rome ; yet, it 
does not appear, that he made, in consequence, any ad- 
vances in his education ; as, he had reached his twelfth 
year, without having obtained a knowledge of the lowest 
elements of literature. His genius was at length roused 
by the recital of Saxon poems; and thenceforward he ap- 



22 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

plied himself to study, so assiduously, that he soon became 
acquainted with many of the ancient Greek and Latin 
works. But, when called to the protection of his country, 
he shook ojfif his literary employments, and took the field, 
with alacrity, to oppose the Danes. 

^y ^ A new swarm of those ravagers came over this 

year, under Guthrum, Oscitel and Amund ; and, 
having joined their countrymen at Reptcn, spread them- 
selves over the whole kingdom. The king exerted him- 
self so vigorously, that, in the course of one year, he fought 
eight battles, and reduced them to the greatest extremity. 
A fresh band, however, of these robbers, landed on the coast. 
This so disheartened his subjects, that many of them fled 
out of the kingdom ; and others submitted to the conquer- 
ors. The utmost energies of Alfred wx're now insufficient 
to rouse the people to resistance. He was obliged to re- 
linquish the ensigns of royalty, and, in the humblest dis- 
guise, to seek shelter from the enemy. He concealed him- 
self in a peasant's habit, and lived for some time in the 
cabin of a herd, who had been intrusted with the care of 
his own covy's. One day, the wife of the herd, observing 
him engaged by the fire-side in trimming his bows and ar- 
rows, desired him to take care of some cakes that were 
toasting ; but Alfred, whose thoughts were otherwise en- 
gaged, neclected his charge. The good woman, finding 
her cakes all burned, scolded him severely ; upbraiding 
him, that he always seemed well pleased when eating her 
cakes, though he was thus negligent in toasting them. 

When Alfred found that the enemy had abated the 
eagerness of their search for him, he collected some of his 
retainers ; and, having retired into the centre of a bog, 
formed by the stagnant waters of the Thone and Parrett, 
in Somersetshire, he there discovered about two acres of 
firm ground, upon which he built a habitation. This place 
was secured by the difficulty of the passes, and by the for- 
ests and morasses by which it was surrounded. He called 
it ^Ethelingey, signifying the isle of nobles. It now bears 
the name of Athelney. Thence, he made frequent sallies 
upon the Danes ; who often felt the vigour of his arm, but 
knew not from what quarter they received the blow. 

After he had remained in this insulated retreat during a 
whole year, he heard of an exhilarating event. Hubba, the 
Dane, having devastated Wales, had landed in Devonshire, 
and laid siege to the castle of Kenwith. Oddune, earl of 
Devonshire, with his followers, had taken shelter there ; 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 23 

and, determined, by some, vigorous action, to prevent the 
necessity of submitting to the barbarians, made a spirited 
sally on the Danes, routed them, killed their chief, and got 
possession of the famous Reafen, or enchanted standard. 
This ensign, containing the figure of a raven, was made by 
the three sisters of Hubba, with many magical incantations; 
and the superstitious Danes erroneously believed, that the 
good or the bad success of any enterprise, w^as prognosti- 
cated by its different movements. 

Encouraged by this conduct of his subjects, Alfred ven- 
tured from his retreat. But, lest he might prematurely 
urge them to the noble attempt of restoring their liberties, 
he resolved, himself, to inspect the situation of the enemy. 
He accordingly entered their camp in the disguise of a 
harper ; passed every where unsuspected ; so entertained 
them with his music and facetious stories, that he was intro- 
duced even into the tent of Guthrum ; with whom, he re- 
mained for several days ; and, having remarked the unguard- 
ed manner of the Danes, and their inconsiderate wasting of 
what they gained by rapine and violence, he then departed. 

Animated still further, by these favourable appearances, 
he summoned his principal subjects, with their warlike fol- 
lowers, to a rendezvous at Brixton, on the borders of Sel- 
wood Forest. At the appointed day, they joyfully resorted 
to meet their prince. With shouts of applause, they sa- 
luted their beloved monarch, whom they had long regarded 
as dead ; but who, with voice and looks expressive of con- 
fidence, now called them forth to victory and freedom. He 
conducted them to Eddington, where the Danes were en- 
camped; and, directing his unexpected attack against their 
most unguarded quarter, instantly routed them, with great 
slaughter. Those who remained, he settled in East-Anglia 
and Northumberland. But, that he might have at least 
one pledge of their submission, he previously stipulated 
that they should embrace Christianity: to which, Guthrum 
and his followers consented. They were then all admitted 
to baptism. The king answered for the Danish chieftain 
at the font, gave him the name of Athelstan, and received 
him as his adopted son. 

Alfred now employed his time in restoring that order 
which had been shaken by so many violent convulsions. 
He established military institutions, infused a taste for in- 
dustry, and a love of justice, and provided against future 
calamities. As equality in the administration of the laws, 
is a great source of concord, he placed the Danes on the 
C 2 



.1 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

same footing with the English. After rebuilding London, 
which had been destroyed in the reign of Ethelwolf, he 
very prudently organized a regular militia, to whom he 
assigned a rotation of duty; so that, whilst a part were em- 
ployed in arms, the remainder attended to the cultivation 
of the land; and, wisely judging that the best method of 
opposing an enemy, who made incursions by sea, was to 
meet them on the same element, he provided a naval pow- 
er; an important defence, which, hitherto, had been totally 
neglected by the English : by which means, he repelled 
several inroads of the Danes, and maintained his kingdom, 
during many years, in tranquillity. 
g„« But Hastings, the famous Danish chieftain, ap- 

peared off the coast of Kent, with a fleet of three- 
hundred-^and-thirty sail ; and he himself, with a division of 
his vessels, entering the Thames, commenced most de- 
structive ravages. Their progress, however, was soon ar- 
rested. Alfred, with his usual alertness and intrepidity, 
took the field; and chased the greater part of those free- 
booters out of the country. He had to contend also with 
the East-Anglian Danes ; who, encouraged by the presence 
of their countrymen, broke into rebellion, and embarked in 
upwards of two-hundred vessels, with which they appeared 
before Exeter. These, he lost not a moment in opposing. 
He instantly marched against this new enemy; and, falling 
suddenly upon them, pursued them to their ships. 

In the mean time, Hastings advanced towards the in- 
terior, and plundered all around him. But he soon had 
reason to repent his temerity. Assisted by a party of the 
citizens, the English army, which had been left in London, 
defeated him at Bamflete ; and carried off his wife and two 
sons ; whom Alfred generously restored ; on condition that 
the Dane should evacuate the kingdom. 

Our limits will not allow us to follow this monarch, 
through the almost innumerable struggles which he main- 
tained with these atrocious barbarians, whom he at length 
subdued. Having taken prisoners a large body, who had 
landed under the command of Sigefert, a Northumbrian, 
he tried them at Winchester, then the capital of his do- 
minions, and hanged them all, as pirates and the common 
enemies of mankind ; a well timed severity ; which, together 
Avith the excellent posture of defence, every where estab- 
lished, again restored the happiness of peace. 

The Welsh having acknowledged his authority, which 
was now extended from the English Channel to the frontiers 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 25 

of Scotland, he died, in the fifty-second year of his age, after 
a glorious reign of nearly thirty years ; having justly ob- 
tained the appellation of Alfred the Great, and Founder of 
the English Monarchy. 

In private, or in public life, the merit of this prince has 
never been excelled. His only competitor is the illustrious 
Washington. But, let us not, by endeavouring, pre-emi- 
nently, to exalt one hero, unwillingly lessen our admiration 
of the other. Alfred seems, to use the language of an 
elegant historian, " to be the model of that perfect charac- 
ter, which the philosophers have been fond of delineating, 
rather as a fiction of their imagination, than in hopes of 
ever seeing it really existing; and nature, as if willing that 
so fine a production should be set in the fairest light, had 
bestowed on him every bodily accomplishment, — vigour of 
limbs, dignity of shape and air, with a pleasant and agree- 
able countenance." 

When the Danes were subdued, Alfred found the king- 
dom in a most wretched condition. The country was over- 
run with straggling parties of those people; and the greater 
number, even of the English, reduced to extreme indi- 
gence, had shaken off the bands of government, and plun- 
dered their fellov/ citizens, in every direction. That he 
might render the execution of justice strict and regular, he 
divided England into shires, or counties ; and subdivided 
these into hundreds and tythings. Ten neighbouring house- 
holders were formed into a corporation; under the name of 
a tything, decennary, or fribourg ; over which, he appoint- 
ed one person, called a headbourg, to preside. The mem- 
bers were held accountable for each other's conduct; and 
every man who did not join one of these associations, was 
considered as an outlaw. 

So regular a distribution of the people, with limitations 
so strict, may not be necessary where men are inured to 
obedience to the laws ; indeed, in a polished state, it would 
be subversive of liberty ; but, amongst those licentious peo- 
ple, it was well calculated to extend the salutary discipline 
of government. 

All trifling disputes were referred to the decennary; but, 
in matters of greater moment, in appeals, or in controver- 
sies between men of different decennaries, the cause was 
brought before the hundred; which consisted of ten decen- 
naries, or a hundred families of freemen, and assembled 
once every four weeks. Their method of decision resem- 
bled the present mode by juries ; the best institution that 



26 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ever was contrived, for the administration of justice, and 
the preservation of liberty : but juries were not the invention 
of Alfred, having been used before in England, and been 
long in practice amongst all the German nations. Besides 
these monthly meetings, there was an annual convening ; 
for inquiring into crimes, correcting magisterial miscon- 
duct, and a general inspection of the police. Superior to 
this, was the county court ; which met twice a year— af- 
ter Michaelmas and Easter; consisting of all the freeholders 
of the county, Avho possessed an equal vote in the decisions. 
The bishop and alderman presided there : the business was 
to determine appeals, and decide controversies between 
men of different hundreds. 

From all these courts, there lay an appeal, to^he king 
himself, in council ; where, he was indefatigable in despatch- 
ing the numerous causes which came before him. The 
better, however, to guide the magistrates in the administra- 
tion of justice, Alfred formed a body of laws ; which, though 
now lost, served long as the basis of English jurisprudence. 
This code is generally esteemed the origin of the " Com- 
mon Law." He appointed meetings of the several states, 
to be held twice a year in London ; which he had repaired 
and beautified, and, thus, rendered the capital of the king- 
dom. 

The similarity of these institutions, to the customs of the 
ancient Germans, to the practice of the other northern con- 
querors, and to the Saxon laws, during the Heptarchy, pre- 
vents us from regarding Alfred as the sole author of this 
plan of government ; but leads us rather to suppose, that, 
like a wise man, he contented himself with reforming, ex- 
tending, and properly appl.^ng, the institutions, which he 
had found previously established. 

It is recorded of Alfred, that he hung forty-four corrupt 
judges, in one year ; and so exact was the general police, 
that, it is said, he suspended, near the highways, bracelets 
of gold ; which no man dared to touch. Yet, amidst all 
these rigours of justice, this great prince preserved an in- 
violable regard to the liberties of his people. In his will, 
is this memorable sentiment: " /; is just^ that the JEnglish 
should ahvays remain as free as their own thoughts J* 

At the time of Alfred's ascending the throne, there was 
not one person, south of the Thames, and very few in the 
northern parts, who could interpret the Latin service of 
the church. But this prince invited over the most emi- 
nent scholars from the continent j established schools in all 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 27 

parts of the kingdom ; and founded, or, at least, re-estab- 
lished the University of Oxford. He was an author of high 
reputation ; and translated many Latin and Greek works ; 
amongst which were the elegant fables of jEsop. He 
also invited industrious foreigners to repeople those dis- 
tricts which had been desolated by the Danes; encouraged 
manufactures, and rewarded the inventors of ingenious arts. 
He usually divided his time into three equal portions. One 
was employed in study and devotion : another, in the des- 
patch of business ; a third, in sleep, and the recruiting of 
his body, by diet and exercise : which divisions he exactly 
measured, by the use of burning tapers, of equal lengths ; 
an expedient suited to that rude age, when the geometry of 
dialling, and the mechanism of clocks and watches, were 
totally unknown. 

The language of England had not, as yet, assumed an 
appearance, in which we can distinguish the dawning of 
the present English. Alfred's imitation of Boethius, taken 
as a specimen, displays the Saxon in its highest state of 
ancient purity, with scarcely any intermixture of the Ro- 
man. 

Alfred left three sons, and three daughters. The eldest 
son, Edmund, having died, in his father's lifetime, without 
children, the second, Edward, succeeded to the throne. 

This prince, known by the appellation of Ed- 
ward the Elder, possessed considerable military 
talent ; and successfully combated every attack made on 
the tranquillity of the kingdom ; whether by foreign, or do- 
mestic, enemies. It was he who founded the University 
of Cambridge. 

Edward was followed by Athelstan. Although 
this monarch was a natural son of the preceding 
king, yet he ascended the throne in preference to Edward's 
legitimate children; whose tender age rendered them inca- 
pable of governing a country, so much exposed to irrup-^^ 
tions from abroad, and convulsions within itself. By these 
national calamities, Athelstan was severely harassed ; but, 
by his great abilities, he preserved his dominions inviolate. 

He maintained a successful war against the king of Scot- 
land, for having protected Anlaf, a Danish nobleman, who 
had rebelled. When in the neighbourhood of the English 
army, Anlaf employed the artifice formerly practiced by 
Alfred against the Danes ; and entered Athelstan's camp, 
in the habit of a minstrel. He so highly pleased the sol- 
diers, that they introduced him to the king's tent; and, hav- 



28 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ing played before the prince and his nobles, he was dis- 
missed with a handsome present. His prudence prevented 
liim from refusing the present, but his pride determined 
him, on his departure, to bury it, when he thought that he 
was unobserved. But, a soldier in the English camp, who 
iiad formerly served under Anlaf, having entertained sus- 
picion on the first appearance of the minstrel, had narrowly 
watched him; and, regarding this last action as a full proof 
of Anlaf's disguise, he carried the intelligence to Athel- 
stan. The king foresaw that the incident might be attended 
with important consequences. He removed his station in 
the camp ; and, as a bishop arrived that evening with some 
troops, (for the clergy were then no less warlike than the 
civil magistrates,) he occupied, with his train, the very 
place which had been left vacant by the king. The pre- 
caution of Athelstan was found prudent. No sooner was 
it dark, than Anlaf broke into the camp; and, hastening di- 
rectly to the place where he had left the king's tent, put 
the bishop to death, before he had time to make defence. 

Athelstan caused the Scriptures to be translated into the 
Saxon language; and passed a remarkable law, which dis- 
plays a mind considerably more enlightened, than could be 
looked for in those days of almost universal ignorance. It 
enacted, that a merchant, who, on his own account, had 
made three long sea-voyages, should be admitted to the 
rank of a thane ; a title equivalent to that of gentleman. 

Edmund, a paternal brother of Athelstan, was 

very young when he came to the crown, and, during 

his short reign, met with considerable disturbance. At a 

festival in Gloucester, he was killed in a rencounter with a 

notorious robber; who had the presumption to enter the 

hall where the king was sitting at dinner. 

g^g The children of Edmund, being very young, were 

set aside in favour of his brother Edred. 

In this reign, the monks, whose introduction into the 
kingdom was coeval with that of Christianity, greatly in- 
creased in number; and, by the assistance of Dunstan, abbot 
of Glastonbury, the monastic rules were rendered much 
more rigid than before. This ecclesiastic, who is known 
by the name of St. Dunstan, secluded himself entirely from 
the world. He framed a cell, so small, that he could 
neither stand erect in it, nor stretch out his limbs during 
repose; and here employed himself perpetually, either in 
devotion or manual labour. By these solitary occupations, 
he became gradually insane, and imagined chimeras, which, 
being believed by himself and his stupid votaries, procured 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 29 

him a character of great sanctity amongst the people. He 
fancied that the devil, in his frequent visits, was one day- 
more earnest than usual in his temptations; till, provok- 
ed at his importunities, he seized him by the nose, with 
a pair of red-hot pincers, as he put his head into the cell, 
and that he held him there, till that malignant spirit made 
the whole neighbourhood resound with his bellowings. 

A violent altercation now occurred, in consequence of a 
new order of the Roman church, that a strict celibacy 
should be observed, by the monks, and all orders of the 
clergy ; which, before the death of the present monarch, 
was, in a great measure, established. 

g „ The next king was Edwy ; nephew of the last mon- 

arch, and son of Edmund, his predecessor. This 
prince, who ascended the throne at the age of sixteen, was 
endowed with the most promising virtues; and, distinguish- 
ed by a handsome exterior. His reign was short and un- 
fortunate; but it might have been equally happy for him- 
self and his subjects, had he not been engaged in a contro- 
versy with the monks. This arose from his having es- 
poused, against the remonstrances of the bishops, a beauti- 
ful princess of the royal blood, named Elgiva; who was 
within the degrees of affinity forbidden by the canon law. 

By the application of a ved-hot iron, his queen was de- 
prived of her fatal beauty ; after which, she was carried into 
Ireland; there, to remain, in perpetual exile. Being, how- 
ever, cured of her wounds, she escaped into England; but, 
when flying to the embraces of her husband, she was again 
seized; and was deprived of life, in the most cruel manner. 
Meanwhile, Edwy was excommunicated; which event was 
soon afterwards followed by his death. 

Edwy was succeeded by his brother, Edgar. 
Though he ascended the throne at an early age, yet 
he soon discovered an excellent capacity: his reign is one^ 
of the most fortunate that the ancient history of England 
can produce. He built and supported a powerful navy; 
which was always employed in the protection of the coast. 
His character, however, would be more estimable, had he 
confined the exercise of his talents to the preservation of 
his dominions, and not employed them in the subjugation 
of his neighbours. If the account be true, which men- 
tions his having been rowed upon the Dee by eight of his 
tributary kings, we have more reason to admire the gran- 
deur of the scene, than compliment him on his moderation 
in prosperity. The reputation of Edgar encouraged many 



$0 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

foreigners to settle in the kingdom. These, we are told, 
contributed to corrupt the simple manners of the natives; 
but, as this simplicity had not preserved them from barba- 
rity, or from treachery, one of the greatest of all vices, it is 
probable that their morals did not suffer much injury from 
the change. 

Edgar's character, in private life, throws a darkening 
reflection on his lustre as a prince. In the gratification 
of his desires, he was unrestrained. The circumstances 
of his marriage with Elfrida, are alike singular and crimi- 
nal. Elfrida was the daughter and heiress of Olgar, earl 
of Devonshire; and, though she had never appeared at 
court, she had filled all England Avith the reputation of her 
beauty. Edgar was not inattentive to such reports. He resol- 
ved, if he found her charms correspondent to her fame, to ob- 
tain possession of her ; and, as her family was noble, not to 
court her as a mistress, but to place her on his throne. He 
commissioned earl Athelwold, his favourite, to visit her fa- 
ther's castle, on some pretence, and bring him a certain ac- 
count of Elfrida's beauty. Athelwold, found her more beau- 
tiful than she had been reported ; and, being actuated by 
the most ardent love, he determined to sacrifice to his pas- 
sion, his fidelity to his master. He informed Edgar that 
the report was untrue; that she was not handsome; that 
she was, on the contrary, of a homely appearance ; but, that 
though she was a very unfitting partner for a king, she 
would, on account of her great riches, be an advantageous 
match for an humble earl. Edgar consented to his intend- 
ed suit ; and Athelwold became her husband. The king 
•was soon informed of the truth ; but, before he would exe- 
cute vengeance on Athehvold's treachery, he resolved to 
ascertain, with his own eyes, the certainty and full extent 
of his guilt. He told him, that he intended to pay him a 
visit, at his castle; and Althelwold, as he could not refuse 
this honour, begged only leave to go before him, a few 
hours, that he might the better prepare every thing for 
his reception. He then discovered the whole matter to 
Elfrida; and begged her, if she had any regard, either to 
his own honour or his life, to conceal from Edgar, by every 
disguise, that fascinating beauty, which had seduced him 
into treachery and falsehood. Elfrida promised to comply, 
though nothing was further from her intention. She con- 
sidered herself little obliged to a man, who had deprived 
her of a crown; and did not despair, even yet, of obtaining 
that station, by her charms, of which she had been deprived 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 31 

by her husband's artifice. She appeared before the king, 
in her richest attire, and with the most engaging airs; and 
excited, at once, the highest love towards herself, and the 
most furious revenge against her husband. Dissembling 
his passion, Edgar seduced him into a wood, on pretence 
of hunting, stabbed him with his own hand, and, soon after- 
wards, publicly espoused Elfrida. 

By the judicious policy of this monarch, a pecuniary in- 
ducement was offered, which caused the extirpation of 
wolves in England and Wales. 

Edgar died after a reign of sixteen years, and was suc- 
ceeded by his son, Edward. 

^^ Edward's reign w^as short, and his end tragical. 

' ^' But, though the murder which term-inated his life, 
had no connexion with any religious opinions, his youth, 
liis innocence, and the manner of his death, produced so 
much compassion, that the people, believing that miracles 
^yere wrought at his tomb, gave him the name of Martyr. 

His stepmother, Elfrida, had a son Ethelred, seven years 
<jld, whom she attempted to raise to the throne. Yet Ed- 
ward had always shown marks of the greatest regard for 
her; and the most tender affection for his half-brother. He 
•was hunting one day, in a forest in Dorsetshire; and, being 
led by the chace near Corse-castle, where Elfrida resided, 
he paid her a visit, unattended by any of his retinue, and 
thereby presented her with the opportunity which she had 
long desired. After he had remounted his horse, he re= 
quested a drink ; and, whilst he was holding the cup to his 
head, a servant of Elfrida gave him a stab behind. The 
prince, finding himself wounded, put spurs to his horse i 
but, becoming faint by the loss of blood, he fell from the 
saddle, his foot stuck in the stirrup, and he was thus drag» 
ged along by his unruly horse, till he expired. 

Elfrida built monasteries and underwent penances, as an 
atonement for her guilt; but she could never, by all her 
hypocrisy and remorses, recover the good opinion of the 
public. 

_Q To him, succeeded Ethelred, his half-brother: to 
whom, historians give the epithet of Unready; from 
his want of promptness in the hour of danger. 

The northern invaders, aware of the favourable opportu- 
nity now afforded, by his inactivity and the bad conduct of 
those intrusted with the reins of government; of whom, 
Alfric, Duke of Mercia, was the most infamous; made a 
powerful descent, under Swevn, king of Denmark, and 
D 



S2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Olave, king of Norway. A numerous army was assembled 
to oppose them. A general engagement ensued: but, in 
consequence of tlje cowardice or treachery of their three 
commanders, Trithegist, Frena, and Godwin, (all of Da- 
nish extraction) the English were defeated ; and, after many 
other severe conflicts, Ethelred purchased a precarious 
peace ; and Sweyn with his associate, Olave, evacuated the 
kingdom. But this shameful compromise served as an in- 
centive to further inroads. Sweyn, shortly after, recom- 
menced his invasions. The English, therefore, now de- 
void both of prudence and unanimity in council, ahd of 
courage and conduct in the field, had recourse to their for- 
mer weak expedient ; and again ignominiously purchased 
by their gold, what they might have gloriously gained by 
the sword. 

After an unfortunate reign of thirty-five years, Ethelred 
died, leaving two sons by his first marriage ; Edmund, who 
succeeded him, and Edwy, whom Canute afterwards mur- 
dered. His two sons, Alfred and Edward, by his second 
maiTiage, with Emma, sister of Richard, duke of Normandy, 
were immediately upon Ethelred's death conveyed into 
Normandy, by their mother. 

. - Edmund, who had distinguished himself in the 
' preceding reign, was, from his hardy valour, named 
Ironside. Though his courage and abilities might have 
been adequate to prevent his country from declining, they 
were unequal to the task of raising it from its degradation. 
Frustrated in his endeavours by the disaffection of his no- 
bility and prelates, and wearied by their importunities, he 
consented to divide the kingdom with Canute the Dane: to 
whom, was given the northern division ; comprising East 
Anglia, Mercia, and Northumberland. In a month after 
this partition, Edmund was murdered at Oxford. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE DANES. 

Canute the Great, Harold Harefoot, Hardicanute. 

CANUTE, the son and successor of Sweyn, king 
' of Denmark, now ascended the throne of England ; 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. sr. 

in which usurpation, he was aided by some nobles, who 
falsely interpreted the treaty, made with Edmund, at Glou- 
cester. 

Edmund Ironside had left two sons, Edwin and Edward ; 
both in their minority. These young princes were sent by- 
Canute to his ally, the king of Sweden; whom he requested 
to despatch them. But the Swedish monarch, too generous 
to comply, conveyed them to Solomon, King of Hungary; 
to be educated at his court. Edwin married Solomon's 
sister; and died soon after, without issue. Edward espous- 
ed a daughter of the emperor, Henry the second; from 
which marriage, sprung Edgar Atheling, who will here- 
after appear as a claimant of the English throne. 

Canute reigned eighteen years; leaving three sons: 
Sweyn, who succeeded to the crown of Norway; which his 
father had woh by conquest: Hardicanute, then on the 
throne of Denmark, whose mother was Emma, wrdow of 
Ethelred the Unready, and sister of Richard, duke of Nor- 
mandy : and Harold, who followed his father, as king of 
England. 

The epithet, attached to the name of Canute, as well as 
to that of many other princes, is not, by the inexperienced 
reader, to be construed as implying any extraordinary 
share of virtue; such virtue as adorns the patriotic citizen. 
Great, when applied by the interested adulators of royalty, 
too often refers to those qualities of the mind, and acts of 
martial prowess, which are conspicuously exerted in the 
oppression of an unresisting people, or in the awful destruc- 
tion of an unoffending neighbour. 

, Assisted by earl Godwin, a powerful nobleman, 

Harold, surnamed Harefoot, from his swiftness in 
running, distinguished himself by cruelty and injustice. 
- Hardicanute, (or Canute the Hardy,) his suc- 

cessor, was, upon his arrival from Denmark, joyfully 
received by the English. But, very different feelings were 
soon produced by his atrocity. In all his cruel and tyran- 
nical proceedings, he, too, was assisted by Godwin. This 
siobleman, being charged with the murder of prince Alfred, 
a son of Ethelred the Unready, and maternal brother of Har- 
dicanute, in order to appease the king, made him a present 
of a splendid galley. It was rowed by eighty men ; each 
of whom wore upon his arm a golden bracelet, weighing 
sixteen ounces, and had his other appointments of the most 
sumptuous kind. The king, pleased by its magnificence, 



34 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

quickly forgot the murder ; and, on Godwin's swearing that 
he was innocent of the imputed crime, obtained for him an 
acquittal. 

This violent reign was of very short duration. Hardi- 
canute died suddenly at the marriage of a Danish lord; 
which it is probable he attended to gratify his habit of in- 
temperance. 



CHAPTER Vni. 

SAXON LINE RESTORED. 

Edivard the Confessor-^ (^Harold the second.) 

EDWARD, the youngest and only surviving son 
^^'^ of Ethelred the Unready, and half-brother of Hardi- 
Canute, (their mother being Emma, widow of Ethelred,) 
was at this time fortunately at court; and, as Sweyn, the 
eldest son of Canute, was in Norway, and the last two kings 
had died without issue, the English embraced the favoura- 
ble opportunity of shaking off the Danish yoke. Though, 
however, the descendants of Edmund Ironside were the 
true heirs of the Saxon family, yet their absence, in so re- 
mote a country as Hungary, appeared a sufficient reason 
for their exclusion. 

The king, by the mildness of his conduct, soon reconcil- 
ed the Danish inhabitants to his administration ; so that all 
national distinctions gradually disappeared. In most of the 
provinces, the Danes were interspersed with the English : 
they spoke nearly the same language; they varied little in 
their laws or manners; and there is no further mention in 
history of any dissimilarity between them. Edward was 
educated in Normandy, and had contracted many intima- 
cies with the natives of that country, as well as a partiality 
for their manners. The court of England was soon filled 
with Normans; who, being distinguished both by the fa- 
vour of Edward, and a degree of cultivation superior to 
that of the English, soon rendered their language, laws, 
and customs, fashionable in the kingdom. The study of 
the French tongue became general; and that language was 
used, in their deeds and other papers, by the lawyers. 
The most eminent character that appeared in this reign> 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 'Jo 

was Siward, earl of Northumberland. This nobleman, be- 
sides his unwearied exertions in defence of the government, 
against the attacks of its internal enemies, particularly 
Godwin, acquired honour to England, by his successful 
management of the only foreign enterprise vmdertaken 
during the reign of Edward. Duncan, king of Scotland, a 
prince of very gentle disposition, having been assassinated 
by Macbeth, a powerful nobleman nearly allied to the 
Scottish crown; Siward, whose daughter had been married 
to Duncan, embraced, by Edward's concurrence, the pro- 
tection of his distressed family; marched an army into 
Scotland ; and, having defeated and killed Macbeth in bat- 
tle, restored Malcolm, Duncan's son and heir, to the throne. 
This is the historical foundation of the tragedy of " Mac- 
beth;" one of the finest productions of the illustrious 
Shakespeare. 

Edward, to whom the monks give the name of saint and 
confessor, was the last of the Saxon line of English mon- 
archs. He was the first that touched for the scrophula or 
king's evil : the opinion of his sanctity induced a belief 
that he could thus heal that incurable disorder ; and his 
successors indulged the people in this delusion for nearly 
seven-hundred years.* 
^ Harold was a son of the famous earl Godwin, 

* (who had acted as stev^ard of the household, under 
Edward,) and, by his mother's side, grandson of Canute the 
Great. His sister Editha had been espoused by the late 
king. Before the death of Edward, he had so well pre- 
pared matters, that, notwithstanding the weakness of his ti- 
tle, (Edgar Atheling, grandson of Edmund Ironside, being; 
the legitimate heir of the sovereignty,) he immediately 
stepped into the vacant throne; and the whole nation seem- 
ed joyfully to swear allegiance. 

The new king, however, was not allowed to remain long 
in tranquillity. A formidable rival soon appeared. Wil- 
liam, natural son of Robert, duke of Normandy, by the 
daughter of a tanner in Falaise, was very early established 
in that grandeur, from which he seemed to have been 
placed at so great a distance, by his birth; and the eminent 
qualities which he soon displayed, in the field and in the 
cabinet, rendered him one of the most powerful princes of 
his time. Founding his pretensions to the British throne 
upon a family connexion, and some negotiations which had 

* This ridiculous practice was first discontinued by George the 
first, 

E) 2 



.o HISTORY OF !::NGLAND. 

taken place when at the court of Edward, William now 
prepared to win by his arms, that crown which Harold had 
gained by his address. Thus, to gratify ambition, the blood 
of thousands was to flow ; and the peaceful cottage, the 
habitation of the industrious peasant, to become the abode 
of the afflicted widow and her helpless orphans. 

The Normans were, at this time, the most renowned 
people in Europe; having been inured to the fatigues 
of military duty in successive campaigns, under captains 
of the greatest experience and abilities. The emperor, 
Henry the fourth, besides giving his vassals permission to 
embark in the intended expedition, promised his protection 
to the dutchy of Normandy, during the absence of the 
prince; and, thereby, enabled him to draw his whole force 
to the attack upon England. He was also supported by 
the approbation of the pope ; who, to encourage the duke 
in his enterprise, sent him a consecrated banner, and a ring, 
in which was one of St. Peter's hairs — at least so it was 
denominated. 

William had now assembled a fleet of three-thousand 
vessels, and selected, from his numerous supplies, an army 
of sixty-thousand men. During these mighty preparations, 
he had induced Harold's brother, Tosti, and the king of 
Norway, to make a descent upon England; which they ac- 
complished. A sanguinary battle ensuing, near Stamford- 
bridge, in Yorkshire, they were both killed, and their ar- 
mies entirely routed; but Harold's victory served greatly 
to reduce the strength of his own forces, and render them 
less capable of opposing the threatened invasion. 

Without having experienced any opposition in his pass- 
age, the duke landed at Pevensey, in Sussex, and quietly 
14,0 t disembarked his forces. A great battle took 
place at Hastings; and after a well contested ac- 
tion, in which all the energies of the respective command- 
ers were displayed, and Harold and his two brothers, killed, 
the Normans were victorious. 

Although the loss which the English had sustained in 
this memorable engagement, was considerable, yet it might 
easily have been repaired, had the resources of the nation 
been skilfully concentrated and vigorously applied. Unfor- 
tunately, the people, by their long subjection to the Danes, 
had lost all national pride and spirit; Edgar Atheling, the 
only heir of the Saxon line, was considered as unfit to gov- 
ern them, even in times of tranquillity and order, therefore 
totally incapable of repairing their recent losses j and the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 37 

duke was allowed to complete his conquest, with little oppo- 
sition, except from two powerful earls, Edwhi and Morcar: 
who, in concert with Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury, 
having proclaimed Edgar, king, used their utmost endeav- 
ours to stop the progress of the invaders. Their exer- 
tions, however, were ineffectual, and they retired with their 
troops to their own provinces; after which, the people 
unanimously yielded to the victor. As soon as William 
had reached Berkhamstead, the primate made submission 
to him ; and before he came within view of London, all the 
chief nobility, and Edgar Atheling himself, the newly elect- 
ed king, (the only remaining prince of the royal blood,) 
went into his camp, and tendered him the crown ; of which, 
with apparent reluctance, he accepted. 

Thus, ended the Saxon monarchy in England, after con- 
tinuing for more than six-hundred years. 



CHAPTER IX, 

William the Conqueror.^ William Rufus, Henry the Firsi^. 
Stephen. 

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. 

1066 — 1087. 

THE victory gained by William at Hastings, was over 
the person of Harold, and not over the rights of the Eng- 
lish nation. Edward the Confessor having died without 
issue, the competitors for the crown were Edgar Atheling, 
Harold, and the duke of Normandy. Edgar had not capa- 
city to sway the sceptre; and the succession of kings was 
not then decided by any invariable rule. Harold was a 
subject, and had no legal claim. William was related to 
Edward, and urged the wishes of this prince that he should 
succeed him. His victory, accordingly, gave him the title 
of a successor, and not a conqueror; and, that the quarrel 
was personal, appears frona the circumstance that William 
offered to decide the dispute with Harold, by single com- 
bat. 

What we call purchase.^ was, in the feudal law, called 
conquest } both denoting any means of acquiring an estate^ 



5S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

out of the common course of inheritance ; and this is stili 
the proper term in the law of Scotland ; as it was amongst 
the Norman jurists; who styled the first purchaser (that is, 
him who first brought the estate into the family which at 
present owns it) the conqueror. 

Westminster Abbey was the place appointed for the 
magnificent ceremony of the coronation ; and the most 
considerable nobility, both English and Norman, attended, 
on this important occasion. Aldred, archbishop of York, 
by whom, rather than by the prelate of Canterbury, Wil- 
liam chose to be consecrated, demanded of the English no- 
bility, whether they would accept of William as their king. 
The bishop of Constance put the same question to the 
Normans. Both having agreed, by acclamations, the arch- 
bishop administered the usual coronation oath : by which, 
he bound himself to protect the church, to administer jus- 
tice, and repress violence. After this, he anointed him, 
and placed the crown upon his head. At that instant, the 
Norman soldiers, who were stationed vv'ithout, in order to 
guard the church, hearing the shouts within, and fearing 
that the English were committing violence on their prince, 
assaulted the populace, and set fire to the neighbouring 
houses. The alarm was conveyed to the nobility who sur- 
rounded the king ; and it was with difficulty that he him- 
self could appease the tumult. 

Besides the usual coronation oath, William swore that 
he would govern by the laws of the Confessor; and, for 
this purpose, he summoned twelve Englishmen from every 
county, to ascertain what these laws were ; because the 
greater part of them had not been written, but were the 
ancient customs of the realm. He also established justices 
of the peace. His own army, in particular, was governed 
with severe discipline ; and the greatest care was taken to 
curb the insolence of recent victory. Yet, amidst this ap- 
parent friendship for his new subjects, he took care to place 
all power in the hands of the Normans, and still keep pos- 
session of the sword, to which he was indebted for his crown. 
Anxious to revisit his native country, he now 
departed for Normandy ; and, that the kingdom 
might, in his absence, be exposed to less danger, he carried 
with him Edgar Atheling and the principal nobility of 
England; who served both to increase the splendour of his 
court, and remain as hostages for the fidelity of their coun- 
trymen. But the rapacity of the Normans, which had been 
restrained by the rigou^of their sovereign ; and the tend- 



I 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 39 

er-cy to revolt, which had been prevented by his vigilance; 
soon began to appear: conspiracies were formed, hostilities 
commenced, in many places, and every thing menaced a 
revolution, as sudden as that which had placed William on 
the throne. 

Upon the first intelligence of these commotions, he hast- 
ened back to England, disconcerted all the plans of the 
confederates, confiscated their estates, and assigned them 
to his Norman captains. 

This measure, whilst it gratified his rapacious followers, 
increased the number of his enemies. His attention was 
bOon recjuired by an insurrection in the north. At the head 
of this patriotic struggle, were Edwin and Morcar ; who 
iiad stipulated for aid, from Blethin, prince of North Wales, 
.Malcolm, king of Scotland, and Sweyn, king of Denmark. 
But William, knowing the importance of celerity, advanced 
by forced marches, reached York before his enemies were 
prepared for resistance, or were joined by any of the foreign 
succours, except a small body from Wales, and obliged the 
iLVvO earls to make an unconditional surrender. 

The following year, he was again disturbed. An inva» 
sion was made by Godwin, Edmund, and Magnus ; three 
sons of Harold; who, after the defeat at Hastings, had 
sought refuge in Ireland. Having met with a kind recep- 
tion from Dermot, and other princes of that country, they 
prepared an expedition against England, and landed in Dev- 
onshire. But Brian, son of the count of Brittany, was 
here ready to oppose them. Several actions ensued, in 
which the invaders were unsuccessful; and they were oblig- 
ed, after great loss, to return into Ireland. 

It was at this period, that William introduced 
' into England the feudal system. Finding himself 
entirely master of the English people, he determined to 
reduce them to a condition, in which they could no longer 
be formidable to his government. He divided nearly all 
the lands of the kingdom into baronies, and conferred them 
(with the reservation of stated services and payments) on 
the most considerable of his adventurers. These great 
barons shared the principal part of their lands with other 
foreigners, who were called knights, or vassals ; and who 
paid their lords the same duty and submission, in peace 
and in war, which the lords themselves owed to their sove- 
reign. The whole country contained about seven hundred 
chief tenants, and sixty thousand knights. But, as none of 
the EnL':Ur,h were admitted into the first rank, the few who 



40 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

retained their landed property, were glad to be received in- 
to the second, and live under the protection of some pow- 
erful Norman. It was a fixed maxim, in this reign, that 
no one born in the island should ever be advanced to any 
dignity — civil, military, or ecclesiastical ; and the natives 
were universally reduced to such a state of poverty and 
meanness, that the English name became a term of reproach. 

But William reserved a very ample revenue for the 
crown, and retained for himself upwards of fourteen-^hun- 
dred manors ; which paid him rent, either in money, or in 
corn, cattle, and the usual produce of the land : and, not 
contented with the large forests, which the former kings 
possessed, in all parts of England, he resolved to make a 
new forest, near Winchester, the usual place of his resi- 
dence ; and, for this purpose, he laid waste the country in 
Hampshire, for an extent of thirty miles, expelled the in- 
habitants from their houses, seized their property, even de- 
molished churches and convents, and made the sufferers 
not the smallest compensation. The killing of a deer or a 
boar, was punished with the loss of the delinquent's eyes ; 
at a time, when the killing of a man could be atoned for 
by paying a moderate fine. 

No sooner was the Norman prince established on the 
throne, than the pope, with the concurrence of William, 
despatched into England, the bishop of Sion, as his legate; 
who was the first prelate that had ever appeared in that char- 
acter in the kingdom. The bishops, under frivolous charges 
of irregularity, were, soon afterwards, by his dictation, de- 
prived of their respective sees. The bishop of Worcester 
was the only English prelate who remained in possession 
of his dignity. It is said, however, that he, also, was re- 
moved ; but, refusing to deliver his pastoral staff and ring, 
to any except the person from whom he had first received 
it, he went immediately (so it is related by the monkish 
historians) to Edward the Confessor's tomb, and struck the 
staff so deeply into the stone, that no one except himself, 
could pull it out ; upon which, he was allowed to retain his 
office. 

In addition to his other innovations, this monarch enter- 
tained even the difficult project of abolishing the English 
language ; and, for that purpose, ordered, that, in all schools, 
the youth should be instructed in the French tongue. The 
pleadings in the supreme courts were in French : the laws 
were written in that idiom : no other language was used at 
court: it became fashionable in all the higher circle's; u 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 41 

polic)', to which is chiefly to be attributed, the mixture 6f 
French, at present to be found in the English language. 

After quelling an insurrection of the barons in 
England, and a revolt of his son Robert in Norman- 
dy, William had leisure to begin and finish a survey of all 
the lands in the kingdom. He appointed commissioners 
to ascertain the quantity and the various qualities of land 
in each district, with the names of their proprietors ; and, 
in many counties, the number and specification of the in- 
habitants : which great undertaking was completed in six 
years ; and the particulars were noted in what is called 
Domesday-Book. This monument, the most valuable piece 
of antiquity possessed by any nation, is still preserved in 
the Exchequer in London.* 

Having reached the sixty -third year of his age, William 
died on the Continent, at the monastery of St. Gervais, in 
consequence of a hurt received when riding; in the twenty- 
first year after the conquest of England, and the fifty-fourth 
of his reign over Normandy. He left three sons: Robert, 
William, and Henry. 

The Normans introduced into England the use of sur- 
names. 

The best historian of this age, was Ingulphus, abbot of 
Croyland ; who wrote a history of his abbey, interspersed 
nith much general information. 

WILLIAM RUFUS. 

1087—1100. 

William, surnamed Rufus, from the colour of his hair, 
which was of a reddish hue, though the second son, as- 
cended the throne by the will of his father ; Robert, the 
eldest, having succeeded to the dutchy of Normandy. The 
appointment, however, caused considerable discontent, 
amongst the Norman barons ; who generally possessed large 
estates both in England and their own country. They fore- 
saw, that it would be impossible for them long to preserve 
their allegiance to two masters ; and that they must, ulti- 
mately, resign either their ancient property, or their new 

* The cities appear, by Domesday-book, to have been little more, 
in extent, than villag-es. York, itself, thoug-li, at tliat period, the 
second city in England, contained only 1418 houses; Norwich, 738; 
Exeter, 315; Ipswich, 538; Nortliamj/ton, 60; Hertford, 146; Canter- 
bury, 262; Balh, 64; Southampton, 84: Warwick, 113. 



4^ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

acquisitions. A comparison, also, of the personal qualities 
of the two brothers, led them to give a preference to the 
elder. The duke was brave, sincere, and generous ; and, 
even his predominant defect, extreme indolence, was not 
disagreeable to those haughty soldiers, who were fond of 
independence, and submitted with reluctance to a rigorous 
administration in their sovereign. The king, though equal- 
ly brave, was violent, haughty, and tyrannical. He seem- 
ed disposed to govern, more by the fear, than by the love, 
of his people. An insurrection ensued: but William, by 
the vigorous measures which he adopted, soon reduced 
the disaffected to obedience, banished the promoters of this 
sedition, and divided their estates amongst the barons who 
had remained faithful. 

Actuated by a criminal ambition, he now thought of 
wresting from his brother the dutchy of Normandy ; and 
appeared there with a formidable army. An accommoda- 
tion, however, took place. It was agreed, that William 
should be put in possession of Eu, the town of Aumale, 
and other places : but, in return, he promised to assist his 
brother in subduing Maine, which had rebelled; and restore 
the barons to their forfeited estates in England. 

A dispute having arisen between Henry, on the one side, 
and Robert and William, on the other, Henry retired into 
a strong fortress on the coast of Normandy ; in which, he 
was attacked by the two brothers. When nearly reduced 
by a scarcity of water, Robert, hearing of his distress, grant- 
ed him leave to supply himself, and also sent him some 
pipes of wine, for his own table. Being reproved by W^il- 
liam for this ill-timed generosity, he replied : " What I 
shall I suffer my brother to die of thirst? Where, shall we 
find another, when he is gone?" The king, also, performed 
an act of generosity, which was less suitable to his charac- 
ter. Riding out one day, alone, to take a survey of the 
fortress, he was attacked by two soldiers, and dismounted. 
One of these drew his sword, in order to despatch him ; 
when, W^illiam exclaimed: " Hold, knave ! I am the king 
of England." The soldier suspended his blow; and, having 
respectfully raised the king from the ground, received u 
handsome reward, and was taken into his service. 

Prince Henry, being soon after obliged to capitulate, 
wandered about, for some time, in great poverty. 

This period is memorable for the commence- 
ment of the Crusades, which now engrossed the 
attention of Europe ; and may be ranked as the most rc:« 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 43 

markable monument of human folly, that ever was raised 
by superstition. The appellation of Crusaders was given 
to the deluded votaries of this mad enthusiasm, from the 
figure of a cross affixed by each to his right shoulder. 
All orders of men deemed the crusades the only road to 
Heaven. The greatest criminals were forward in a service, 
which they regarded as a propitiation for every crime. 
Even women, concealing their sex under the disguise of 
armour, attended the camp of these warriors ; who sought 
to wrest from the Mahometans, the city of Jerusalem, or 
breathe their last in sight of that place where their Saviour 
had died. How much better might they have fulfilled the 
injunctions of their sacred Master, by practising, at home, 
the duties of morality and peace ! 

Impelled by the general frenzy, the king's brother, Ro- 
bert, had early enlisted in the crusade. Being, however, in 
want of money, he mortgaged his dominions to the king of 
England ; and William v/as, accordingly, put in possession 
of Normandy and Maine. But he did not many years sur- 
vive this continental acquisition. In the thirteenth year 
of his reign, and fortieth of his age, when engaged in his 
favourite amusement of hunting, in the New Forest, in 
Hampshire, a French gentleman, named Walter Tyrel, hav- 
ing aimed at a stag which suddenly started before him, his 
arrow, glancing from a tree, struck the king in the breast, 
and instantly killed him. His body was buried by the coun- 
try-people, without any pomp or ceremony, at Winchester. 
His courtiers neglected to perform the last duties, to a 
monarch who was so little beloved. They were too much 
occupied in the more profitable employment of choosing 
)iis successor, to allow their attending the funeral of a dead 
sovereign. 

A fashion prevailed, in this age, in England, and through- 
out Europe, amongst both men and women, to wear shoes 
of enormous length, to draw the toe to a sharp point, and 
affix the figure of a bird's bill, or a similar ornament, which 
was turned upwards, and was often sustained by gold or sil- 
ver chains, tied to the knee. The clergy declaimed, with 
great vehem.ence, against this fashion ; which, they said, 
was an attempt to bely the Scripture, where it is affirmed, 
that no man can add a cubit to his stature. They even 
assembled synods, who condemned it. But, though the 
clergy, at that time, could overturn thrones, and had authori- 
ty sufficient to send a million of men on the crusade^:,, they 
could never prevail against these long-pointed shoes. 
lit 



44 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

The monuments which remain in England of this prince, 
are Westminster Hall, and London Bridge ; both of which 
were built by his directions. The Tower, also, was origi- 
nally founded by him : but the present superstructure of 
that fortress was erected at the close of the fourteenth cen- 
tury, by Richard H. 



HENRY THE FIRST. 

1100 — 1135. 

The throne was immediately occupied by Henry, the 
younger brother of the late king. Robert was absent at 
Jerusalem ; where, he distinguished himself, by his extra- 
ordinary courage, as well as by that affable disposition and 
unbounded generosity, which qualify a prince to shine in a 
military profession. 

As Henry easily foresaw, that a crown, usurped against 
all rules of justice, would sit very unsteadily on his head, 
he resolved, by fair appearances, to gain the affection of 
his subjects. He voluntarily made a charter, which was 
calculated to remove many grievous oppressions under 
■which the people had long laboured. In this instrument, 
he promised, that upon the death of any earl, baron, or 
military tenant, his heir should be admitted to the posses- 
sion of his estate, on paying a just and reasonable sum to 
the crown. He also remitted the wardship of minors, and 
the right of giving any heiress in marriage, without the ad- 
vice of all the barons ; restored the Anglo-Saxon laws, as 
confirmed in a charter by Edward the Confessor, (the same 
that the first William had sworn to observe) and made 
several other concessions, favourable to the property and 
liberty of the subject. But, when he had gained his pur- 
pose, he never once thought, during his whole reign, of 
observing a single article of it. 

Robert, who, shortly after his brother's death, had return- 
ed to Normandy, took possession of that dutchy; and com- 
menced preparations to enable him to gain the English 
throne, of which, in his absence, he had been deprived. 
He landed with his troops at Portsmouth ; but an accom- 
modation ensued. It was agreed, that Robert should re- 
sign his claim to England, in consideration of an annual 
pension ; and, that if either of the princes died without is- 
sue, the other should succeed to his dominions. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 45 

. Henry was the first to infringe the treaty. He 

made an attack on Normandy ; in the conquest of 
which he succeeded, after a severe battle at Tenchebray ; 
where, Robert was made prisoner. This unfortunate prince 
was detained in custody during the remainder of his life, 
which was twenty-eight years, in the castle of Cardiff, in 
Glamorganshire. Thus, are the bonds of kindred affection 
rent asunder, by the furious impulse of a detestable am- 
bition. Edgar Atheling, also, who had accompanied Ro- 
bert to Jerusalem, was amongst the prisoners taken, by 
the king, at Tenchebray. He gave him his liberty, and 
settled a small pension on him ; with which, having retired, 
he lived to an advanced age in England, totally neglected 
and forgotten ; such was the indifference with which he 
was viewed, from his want of talent. 

Henry died suddenly in Normandy, in the sixty-seventh 
year of his age, and thirty-fifth of his reign ; leaving his 
daughter, the empress Matilda, heiress of his dominions. 
This prince, in point of mental attainments, and abilities 
in general, was one of the most accomplished that ever 
filled the British throne ; and by his great progress in lite- 
rature, he acquired the name of Beau-clerc, or the scholar. 
He made canals for joining navigable rivers, and granted a 
charter to London , v/hich acenis to have been the first step 
towards rendering that city a corporation. 

During his whole reign, the nation was disturbed by vio- 
lent contentions with the court of Rome. A synod, con- 
vened at Westminster, passed a vote, prohibiting the laity 
from wearing long hair. The aversion of the clergy to this 
mode, was not confined to England. When the king went 
over into Normandy, before he had conquered that prov- 
ince, the bishop of Seez, in a formal harangue, earnestly be- 
sought him to redress the manifold disorders under which 
the government laboured, and to oblige the people to cut 
their hair in a decent form. Henry, though he would not 
resign his prerogatives to the church, was very willing to 
part with his hair : he cut it in the required form, and 
obliged all the courtiers to imitate his example. 



46 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

STEPHEN. 

■ 1135 — 1154. 

The irregular manner in which Henry had acquired the 
crown, might have taught that prince how little regard 
would be shown to the injunctions of a will ; and the casu- 
istry of the age, how little respect to the oaths of fealty, 
sworn, by the barons, both of Normandy and England, to 
Matilda. Indeed, no nation of Europe had ever seen a 
crown on the head of a female ; and Spain was then the 
only country that had ever had a king who claimed in a 
female right. His nephew, Stephen of Blois, maternal 
grandson of the Conqueror, had, by the friendship of the 
late king, gained, in England, great riches, honours, and 
preferments ; and no sooner had Henry expired, than he 
hastened over from the Continent, and, by the influence of 
his wealth and dignities, got possession of the throne. 

But Stephen, though he now wielded a sceptre, did not 
enjoy it in tranquillity. He felt a large share of those in- 
quietudes, with which Providence is pleased, abundantly, 
to visit the palaces of kings. The barons, in return for 
their suom:::::C", h':d e-.-Cttd r^-'"*^^ .-.xorhitant demands ; 
equally destructive of the royal authority, and the peace of 
the community. Many of these required the right of for- 
tifying their castles, and increasing their defences ; so that 
all England was immediately filled with those fortresses, 
which they garrisoned with their vassals, or with licentious 
soldiers that flocked to them from every quarter. 

Robert, earl of Gloucester, natural son of the late king, 
was a man of honour and ability, and much attached to the 
interests of Matilda. From this nobleman, Stephen had 
3nuch to fear. Having arranged the project of an insur- 
rection, he retired to the Continent, sent the king a defi- 
ance, solemnly renounced his allegiance, and upbraided 
him with a breach of the conditions which had been annex- 
ed to his oath of fealty. Her uncle, David, king of Scot- 
land, took the field in defence of Matilda's title; and, pene- 
trating into Yorkshire, committed most barbarous devasta- 
tions. The fury of his massacre and ravages enraged 
the northern iTobility, who might, otherwise, have been 
inclined to join him ; and the earl of Albermarle, William 
Percy, Robert de Brus, and other powerful barons, assem- 
t)led an army, with which they encamped at North-Aller- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 47 

ton; where a great engagement took place, in which the 
king of Scots was routed, and very narrowly escaped fall- 
ing into the hands of his enemies. 

Matilda, accompanied by the earl of Gloucester, 
now landed in England, and fixed her residence at 
Arundel Castle ; where she was joined by many of the barons, 
with their numerous vassals. An engagement took place 
at Lincoln ; in which, Stephen was made prisoner. Matil- 
da was shortly after crowned at Winchester; and, though 
she experienced great opposition from the citizens of Lon- 
don, yet, by the aid of the clergy, whose favours had been 
gained by concessions, she brought them to submit. 

But, another revolution shortly followed. By a con- 
currence of events, which it would be tedious to enumerate, 
and which, if related, would be devoid of interest, Stephen 
was released from prison, and Matilda was under the ne- 
cessity of retiring from the kingdom. Although, however, 
the king had gained his liberty, he can scarcely be said, at 
this time, to have reascended the throne. He had to con- 
tend, not only with powerful opposition from many of the 
nobles, but also with the anathemas of the pope. 

Seizing the favourable opportunity now afforded, prince 
Henry, son of Matilda, made an invasion ; and, having 
gained some advantages over Stephen, compelled him to 
listen to an accommodation. It was agreed, that Stephen 
should possess the crown during his life, and that Henry- 
should succeed him. The death of the king, which hap- 
pened in the next year, prevented all those quarrels and 
jealousies which were likely to ensue in so delicate a situa- 
tion ; as it is not very probable, that the young prince 
would have patiently waited for an event, which he himself 
might not survive. 

The historians of this period, were William of Malms- 
bury, and Peter of Blois. On the authority of the latter, 
it appears, that London then contained only forty-thousand 
inhabitants. The Saxon language now assumed in Eng- 
land, a form, in which may plainly be discovered the be- 
ginning of the present English, 



E 



48 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

CHAPTER X. 

CONQUEST OF IRELAND. 

Henry the second^ Richard thejirst^ John^ Henry the thirds 
JEdiuard the Jirst, Edivard the second^ Edward the third* 
Richard the second. 

HENRY THE SECOND. 

1154—1189. 

THIS prince was about twenty-one years of age when 
he ascended the British throne. In his person, the fami- 
lies of the Saxon and Norman monarchs were united; his 
inother being the grand niece of Edgar Atheling, and a 
lineal descendant of Edmund Ironside. He was master, in 
right of his father, the earl of Anjou Plantagenet, of Tou- 
raine, Anjou, and Maine : he inherited from his mother 
Matilda, Normandy ; obtained by his wife, Perigord, Poic- 
tou, Guienne, Xaintogne, Auvergne, Limousin, and Angou- 
iTiois ; and, soon after, annexed Brittany to his other states. 
These provinces composed above a third of the whole 
French monarchy ; and were much superior, in extent and 
resources, to those territories which were under the imme- 
diate jurisdiction of the king of France. Henry was the 
greatest prince of his time, for wisdom, virtue, and politi- 
cal ability ; and the most powerful, in extent of dominion, 
that had ever worn the crown of England. His character, 
in private, as well as in public life, is almost without blem- 
ish. He was of a middle stature — strong, and well pro- 
portioned : his countenance was lively and engaging ; his 
conversation, affable and entertaining ; his elocution, easy, 
persuasive, and always at command. He loved peace, but 
possessed both bravery and conduct in war. 

As the king, and all the English barons, were of French 
extraction, the manners of the latter gradually acquired 
the ascendance. All foreign improvements, therefore, such 
as they were, in literature and politeness, in laws and in 
arts, seem then, in a great measure, transplanted into Eng- 
land; and this country soon rivaled her continental neigh- 
bours, in the fashionable accomplishments of the age. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 49 

A dispute having arisen respecting the occnpatioo of 
Nantz, Henry, lest Louis, the French king, should inter- 
pose against him in the controversy, paid that monarch a 
visit; and pleased him so much by his deportment, that an 
alliance was contracted. They agreed, that young Henry, 
heir of the British throne, should be affianced to Margaret 
of France ; though the former was only five years of age, 
and the latter was yet in her cradle. 

, - The usurpations of the clergy, which had, here- 

tofore, been gradual, were now so rapid and alarm- 
ing, that it seemed necessary to determine, whether the 
king or the ecclesiastics, particularly the archbishop of 
Canterbury, should have the political ascendency. The 
high spirit of Henry, was not likely to pay a tame submis- 
sion to their encroachments. The most remarkable person- 
age in these contentions, was the celebrated Thomas a Beck- 
et ; the first man of English pedigree, who, since the Norman 
Conquest, had risen to any considerable station ; and who, 
by natural ability, improved by experience ; and by intrigue 
and affected austerity ; raised himself, from an humble sta- 
tion, to the exalted dignity of chancellor of the kingdom, 
prime minister, and, ultimately, to that of archbishop of 
Canterbury. In addition to these great employments, he 
received also the income of two extensive baronies ; and, 
to complete his grandeur, was intrusted with the education 
of the king's eldest son. The pomp of his retinue, the 
luxury of his table, and the munificence of his presents^ 
corresponded to these great preferments ; or, rather, ex- 
ceeded any thing which England had ever, before, witness- 
ed, in any subject. His historian and secretary, Fitz-Ste- 
phen, mentions, amongst other particulars, that his apart- 
ments were every day, in winter, covered Avith clean straw 
or hay; and, in summer, with green rushes or boughs: lest 
the gentlemen who paid their court to him, and who could 
not, by reason of their great number, find a place at table, 
should soil their fine clothes by sitting on a dirty floor !— • 
That, however, in those days, when carpets were not used 
even in the royal palace, was considered as effeminate re- 
finement. He employed himself, at leisure hours, in hunt- 
ing, hawking, and gaming ; and maintained, during forty- 
days, in one of the king's wars in Normandy, twelve-hun- 
dred knights and four-thousand of their train. 

Henry, himself, partook of his entertainments. An amus- 
ing instance of their familiarity is mentioned; which forci- 
bly displays the manners of that age. One day, as the king 



50 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

and Becket were riding in the streets of London, they ob- 
served a beggar, who was shivering with cold : " Would it. 
not be very praiseworthy," said the king, " to give that 
poor man a warm coat, in this severe weather ?" " It would, 
surely," replied the chancellor ; " and you do well, sir, in 
thinking of so good an action." " Then he shall have one 
presently," replied the king ; and, seizing the skirts of 
Becket's coat, he began to pull it violently. Becket defended 
himself for some time ; and both had nearly fallen off their 
horses, when the chancellor, after a vehement struggle, let 
go his coat ; which the king gave to the beggar : who, be- 
ing ignorant of their persons, was not a little surprised with 
the present. 

At this time, however, Becket had not attained the sum- 
mit of his elevation. But, when afterwards he received 
from Henry the exalted honours of the see of Canterbury, 
which rendered him, for life, the second person in the king- 
dom, he totally altered his demeanour, and endeavoured to 
retrieve that character of sanctity, which his former osten- 
tation had impaired. He immediately resigned all his civil 
employments ; intimating, that, thenceforth, he must be 
solely occupied in the exercise of his religious functions. 
Although he still retained, in his retinue and attendants, 
his accustomed pomp and lustre, which were useful to 
strike the vulgar, yet, in his own person, he affected the 
most rigid mortification. He wore sackcloth next his skin ; 
his usual diet was bread ; his drink, water ; which he had 
rendered unpalatable by the mixture of unsavoury herbs : 
he tore his back by the frequent scourgings which he in- 
flicted on it ; and daily, on his knees, washed the feet of 
thirteen beggars, whom he afterwards dismissed with pre- 
sents. 

These austerities, could not, however, deceive men of 
penetration. They easily foresaw, that he meditated some 
great design ; and that his ambition had directed him to- 
wards a new and more dangerous experiment. 

The ecclesiastics, in that age, had renounced all subor- 
dination to the magistrates : they openly pretended to an 
exemption, in criminal accusations, from a trial before 
courts of justice, and were gradually introducing a similar 
exemption in civil causes ; and, as the clergy had extreme- 
ly multiplied in England, and many of them were, conse- 
quently, of very low characters, murders, and robberies, 
and other crimes of the deepest die, were daily committed 
by them, with impunity. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 51 

The most inquisitive reader would be wearied by a recital 
of the successive encroachments of the primate, and the 
endeavours of the sovereign to resist their effects. Henry, 
seizing a favourable opportunity, resolved to determine, at 
once, the increasing controversies between the civil and the 
ecclesiastical jurisdiction. He therefore summoned an as- 
sembly of all the prelates in the kingdom ; and put to them 
this plain and decisive question : Whether they were willing 
to submit to the ancient laws and customs of England ? The 
bishops vmanimously replied, That they were willing, sav- 
ing their own order. 

This evasion served only to inflame the king's resent- 
ment. He was not to be diverted from his purpose. In the 
following year, he convened, at Clarendon, a general council 
of the nobility and prelates; to whom he submitted the im- 
portant decision of the present alarming differences. The 
barons having been gained to the king's party, the bishops 
became overawed ; and a body of laws, called the Constitu- 
tions of Clarendon, were agreed to, without opposi- 
tion. It was enacted, that clergymen accused of any 
crime should be tried by the civil power : that laymen should 
not be indicted in spiritual courts, except by legal and repu- 
table witnesses : that the bishops, and other spiritual digni- 
taries, should be regarded as barons of the realni, and be 
bound to assist at trials, and attend the king in his great 
councils; and that goods forfeited to the king should not be 
protected in churches or church yards. 

Although Becket himself subscribed to these articles, it 
does not appear, that he, in the least degree, relaxed from 
his usual struggles in favour of the clerical supremacy. 
Henry and the primate were almost perpetually at variance ; 
he was at length banished from the kingdom ; and, al- 
though, after a compromise had been effected, he was al- 
lowed to return, yet, still, the controversy was repeated. 
He filled all places with exclamations against the violence 
ivhich he had suffered, excommunicated the king's ministers, 
by name, and every one that obeyed the constitutions of 
Clarendon ; absolved all persons from the oaths which they 
had taken to observe them ; and even told Henry that kings 
reign solely by the authority of the church. 

The king, when on the continent, being one day 
' vehemently agitated, burst forth into an exclama- 
tion against his servants ; whose want of zesil, he said, had 
left him so long exposed to the enterprises of that ungrate- 
ful and imperious prelate. Four officers of his household, 



02 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

taking these passionate expressions as a hint for Becket's 
death, swore to revenge their prince's quarrel, and secretly 
Avithdrew from court. The king, apprehensive of their 
design, despatched after them a messenger ; charging them 
to attempt nothing against the person of the primate. 
But these orders arrived too late. Becket had been assas- 
sinated in the cathedral church of Canterbury. In this 
manner, did his rashly officious friends, seek a remedy for 
evil, in the commission of one of the most horrid crimes of 
which man can be guilty ; and plunge, into the severest 
affliction, him, whose troubles they had sought to alleviate. 

Though Henry had acquitted his own conscience from 
desiring the assassination of Becket, he was extremely 
alarmed, lest he might incur the anathemas of the court of 
Rome. The Thursday before Easter was now approach- 
ing, when it is customary for the pope to denounce annual 
curses against all his enemies ; and it was expected that 
Henry would be solemnly comprehended amongst the num- 
ber: but an ambassador, sent hastily forward, found means 
to appease the pontiff, and artfully to elude the blow. 

Two years after his death, Becket was sainted by the 
pope, his body was removed to a magnificent shrine, en- 
riched with presents from all parts of Christendom ; and, 
in one year, above a hundred-thousand pilgrims arrived at 
Canterbury, and paid devotions at his tomb. 

We shall now proceed to the most important, but not 
the most pleasing, event, in the history of this reign — the 
invasion and subjection of Ireland. 

Though it is foreign to the plan of the present work, to 
devote an equal degree of attention to Irish affairs, as to 
those of England, yet, viewing as we do, the greatness of 
the attainment to the British crown, it seems a duty to give 
at least a cursory sketch, of the ancient state of so cele- 
brated an island. 

When we examine the remote histories of England, Scot- 
land, and Ireland, and find names and facts given with un- 
hesitating confidence, and apparent chronological accuracy, 
it seems, at first sight, an unreasonable degree of scepti- 
cism, to withhold our assent, or question their authentici- 
ty ; however, a minuter inquiry, evinces them to be, in 
general, but specious delusions — the inventions of the hu- 
man mind. Ireland, unquestionably, at a very early period, 
contained extensive colleges for the reception of literary 
students ; but, until after the general revival of letters, if 
we except her music, which was then, as it is now, the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 53 

most delightful in the world, she sent forth no illuminating 
beams of scientific knowledge, or of elegance. Greece and 
Italy, though possessed, in remote ages, of few public 
seminaries of learning, have transmitted, even through the 
gloomy centuries of barbarism, those immortal productions, 
which excite the highest admiration, and challenge the 
ablest exertions, of our modern schools. The language of 
the Irish, it may be said, is no longer a collegiate study. 
The Greek and Latin, though neither is, at this time, the 
language of a nation, live, from age to age, in the splendid 
pages which they have adorned. Had those crowded aca- 
demies of Ireland produced within their walls a Homer or 
a Virgil, an Herodotus or a Livy, the Iberno-Celtic tongue 
would not now be confined to the illiterate vulgar. 

The earliest authentic reference to this island, is by the 
ancient geographer, Strabo. He says, that the position of 
Ireland, and its distance from the coast of Gaul, were in- 
serted in the papers of Eratosthenes, librarian of the sec- 
ond Ptolemy, king of Egypt. This prince flourished 
about two-hundred-and-fifty years before the Christian aera. 
Pliny, also, refers to a map of Ireland, which was placed in 
a portico at Rome, amongst other geographical documents 
collected under the superintendence of Julius Caesar. The 
names of Iri, Eri, Erin, with their variations, were ancient- 
ly given to this island. Caesar is, we believe, the first Ro- 
man writer who mentions it. He calls it Hibernia; proba- 
bly from its supposed coldness ; hibernus^ in Latin, signi- 
fying winterly. 

As Britain was first peopled from Gaul, so was Ireland, 
most probably, from Britain. The inhabitants of all these 
countries seem to have been so many tribes of the Celtae, 
who derive their origin from an antiquity far beyond the 
records of any history or tradition. The ancient language 
of Ireland was what is now called the Gaelic : the same, 
excepting the changes produced by time, that is still 
used by at least three-fourths of the lower classes in that 
country. In many parts of Scotland, Wales, and the Isle 
of Man, dialects of this tongue are still very common; all 
bearing so near an affinity, that the people of one can con- 
verse intelligibly with those of another. 

.„ At this period, besides many small tribes, there 

were in the island five principal sovereignties ; 
Munster, Leinster, Meath, Ulster, and Connaught. Rod- 
erick O'Connor, king of Connaught, was advanced to the 
dignity of presiding in their councils, and of leading their 



54 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

armies against a foreign enemy ; but his government, ill 
obeyed, even within his own territory, was not capable of 
imiting the people in measures for their general defence. 
The following circumstance seems to have hastened the 
attempts of the British king upon this island, which had 
been previously designed by himself, and sanctioned by the 
Roman pontiff. Dermot M'Murrough, sovereign of Lein- 
ster, an odious tyrant, had formed a design on Omach, wife 
of Ororic, king of Meath : Ororic, for better security, dur- 
ing his absence in a distant part of his dominions, had 
placed his queen in an island surrounded by a bog : but 
Dermot, seizing the opportunity, invaded the place, and 
carried off" the princess. This immoral and ungenerous 
act, led to his expulsion from the country. He had then 
recourse to Henry ; and proposed that if he assisted him in 
recovering his kingdom, he would hold it in vassalage of 
the crown of England. Christianity had been carried to 
Ireland by missions from the ancient Britains; but the Irish 
followed the doctrines of their first teachers, and had never 
acknowledged subjection to the Roman see. /Adrian the 
third, therefore, in the year 1 156, issued a bull in favour of 
Henry ; in which, after premising that this prince had al- 
ways been anxious to enlarge the church of God, on earth, 
and to increase the number of his saints in Heaven, he ex- 
horts him to invade Ireland, to extirpate the vice and wick- 
edness of the natives, and oblige them to pay, yearly, from 
every house, a penny to the see of Rome./ 

The first hostile party of the British vs^as under the or- 
ders of Robert Fitz-Stephen ; who landed near Wexford. 
Maurice de Prendergast, Fitzgerald, Raymond, and the 
earl of Strigul, (surnamed Strongbow,] successively follow- 
ed ; each with a party under his command. The latter, 
the most renowned of all, landed at Waterford ; which he 
immediately subdued. He then proceeded to Dublin ; 
which he carried by assault. Henry himself soon arrived, 
with a few hundred men ; not so much to conquer a dis- 
puted territory, as to take possession of a subjected king- 
dom. Amongst the British adventurers, he distributed the 
lands, which belonged to those leaders who had offended 
him by their opposition ; and, after a short stay, returned to 
England ; leaving most of the Irish chieftains undisturbed 
in their dominions. 

The Irish, at that time, were undisciplined, and almost 
entirely without armour; a mode of personal defence used 
by their invaders : to which causes, and their want of union, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 55 

may be attributed the easy victory over a people, inferior 
to none in point of natural bravery and strength. 

Henry died in the fifty-eighth year of his age, and the 
thirty-fifth of his reign. His life was shortened by the un- 
grateful conduct of his own children, Henry, Richard, and 
John ; who, disgracefully aiming to deprive their indulgent 
father of his dominions, embittered his declining years with 
corroding anguish. Two, only, of his sons survived him ; 
Richard, who succeeded to the throne ; and John, who did 
not inherit any territory. He was thence called Lacland. 

The most industrious writer of this reign was Hovedon, 

RICHARD THE FIRST, 

1189— -1199. 

By his conduct^ when invested with the regal dignity, 
Richard endeavoured to atone for his undutiful behaviour 
to his father. Those who had assisted in his rebellion, in- 
stead of meeting with the honour and confidence which 
they had expected, were, on all occasions, hated and des- 
pised ; but, the faithful ministers of Henry, were received 
with open arms. 

The events of this reign are unimportant, at the present 
day. Our business is, to give a faithful detail only of those 
transactions that have a tendency to elucidate effects which 
have remained permanent ; not to burthen our pages with 
those that should rather be forgotten than remembered. 

The character of Richard displays a strange mixture of 
vice and virtue. He seemed calculated rather to dazzle 
mankind by the splendour of his enterprises, than to pro- 
mote the happiness of his people by a well regulated gov- 
ernment. No man, even in that romantic age, carried per- 
sonal courage to a greater height. It was this quality 
%vhich gained him the appellation of C(Sur de Lion^ the 
lion-hearted. Shortly after ascending the throne, he joined 
in a crusade to Palestine ;«fcv.diere he remained nearly three 
years; shining in every action. The most memorable bat- 
tle which then occurred, was fought by the Christians on 
the one side, and Saladin, the renowned emperor of the 
Saracens, on the other ; who, by the heroic behaviour of 
Richard, received a signal overthrow^ In his return home, 
the king was treacherously detained by Leopold, duke of 
Austria ; and for a sum of money, assigned to the emperor 
Henry the sixth; bv whom he was carried into the heart of 
V 



56 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Germany, and loaded with irons, until ransomed by his 
country. Nor was that the only cause of his unhappiness. 
Prince John, during the captivity of his brother, made an at- 
tempt to gain the throne ; thus, renewing the disgraceful 
conduct, which had brought his father to the grave. 

Richard, when attacking the castle of Chains, near Li- 
moges, received a mortal wound, in the tenth year of his 
reign, and the forty-second of his age. 

Coats of arms were not introduced into seals, nor indeed 
into any other use, until about the reign of Richard ; who 
brought them from the Holy Land, where they were first 
invented, and painted on the shields of the knights, to dis- 
tinguish the variety of persons, of every Christian nation, 
who resorted thither, and could not, when clad in complete 
^teel, be otherwise ascertained. 

This prince established in England a uniformity in weights 
and measures : a useful institution ; with which, the mer- 
cenary disposition of his successor induced him to dispense,, 
for money. 

JOHN. 

1199 — 1216. 

The late king, who died without children, previous to 
his departure for the East, had declared his nephew, Ar- 
thur, duke of Brittany, son of his deceased elder brother 
Geoffrey, his successor. But John did not acquiesce in this; 
and Richard, by his last will, appointed him heir to all his 
dominions; probably, because he thought that Arthur, 
then but twelve years of age, was incapable of establishing 
his claim against the faction of his uncle. 

Philip, king of France, desiring an opportunity to embar- 
rass John, and disunite his dominions, embraced the cause 
of the young duke, and brought him to Paris, to be edu- 
cated with his own son. 

A war with France shortly a4Jter ensued ; which was at 
length concluded by the mutual adjustment of disputed 
claims ; and, to render the union more durable, John gave 
his niece in marriage to Prince Louis, Philip's eldest son. 
Nine barons of the king of England, and as many of the 
king of France, were guarantees of this treaty ; all of whom 
swore, that if their sovereign violated any article which it 
contained, they would declare against him, and embrace 
■he cause of the injured monarch. 



HiLtORY of ENGLAND. 57 

Now secure, as he imagined, on the side of France, 
John, though his queen was still alive, indulged his passion 
for Isabella, the daughter of Aymar, count of Angouleme ; 
a lady, who had been contracted to the count De la Marche, 
and was already delivered into his hands; but, by reason of 
her tender years, the marriage had not been consummated. 
Having procured a divorce from his own wife, John es- 
poused Isabella; regardless both of the menaces of the 
pope, and the resentment of the count. But the latter 
soon found means to punish his atrocious rival. Taking 
advantage of the general discontent which prevailed against 
John, the enraged husband excited commotions in Poictou 
and Normandy. The king then summoned all the barons 
of England, and required them to assist him on the conti- 
nent. But he found that he possessed as little authority, 
there, as in his transmarine dominions. They unanimously 
replied, that they would not attend on this expedition, un- 
less he would promise to restore and preserve their privi- 
leges — the first symptom of a regular combination, and 
plan of liberty, amongst those noblemen. Affairs, however, 
were not yet fully ripe for the projected revolution. John, 
by threatening them, dissolved the association, induced 
many to follow him into Normandy, and compelled those 
who remained behind, to pay for the indulgence. 

He was, for a while, equally successful against the refrac- 
tory barons on the continent. But, elated by his superiori- 
ty, he advanced claims, which gave universal alarm to his 
vassals, and diffused, still wider, the general discontent. 
As the jurisprudence in those times, generally required 
that the causes in the lords' court should be decided by- 
duel, he carried with him a number of bravos ; whom he 
retained as champions, to fight with his barons in any con- 
troversy that he might raise against them. The count De 
la Marche, and other noblemen, regarded this proceeding 
as an insult, as well as an injury ; and declared that they 
would never draw their swords against men so inferior in 
quality. The barons ha\»ng appealed to Philip, their su- 
perior lord, that prince espoused their cause ; and a new 
and powerful ally soon appeared, to encourage them in the 
completion of their designs against the British king. 

The young duke of Brittany, aware of the dangerous 
character of his uncle, determined to seek both his security 
and advancement by a union with Philip and the barons. 
The allies, for a while, were invariably successful. In an- 
swer to every proposal which the king of England made 



.>8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

for peace, Philip still insisted, that he should resign all his 
continental dominions to his nephew. But an event hap- 
pened which seemed to turn the scale in favour of John. 
Whilst the duke of Brittany was besieging the town of 
Mirabel, in Poictou, his camp was suddenly attacked ; and 
he himself, together with La Marche, and the most con- 
siderable of the revolted barons, were made prisoners, and 
carried in triumph into Normandy. Philip, who then in- 
vested a city in that dutchy, raised the siege, and retired 
on his approach ; and John, sensible from the spirited dispo- 
sition of young Arthur, that he might prove a dangerous 
enemy, if he should regain his liberty, murdered him with 
his own hands ; and, fastening a stone to the dead body, 
threw it into the Seine I 

All Europe was struck with horror at this inhuman deed. 
From that moment, the king, detested by his subjects, re- 
tained a very precarious authority, over both the people 
and the barons. Philip, as his superior lord, summoned 
him to stand a trial ; and, on his non-appearance, passed 
sentence, with the concurrence of the peers, declaring him 
guilty of felony, and adjudging him to forfeit all the pro- 
vinces which he held in vassalage of the French crown. 
These, he entered with a numerous army ; and conquered 
Anjou, Touraine, Maine, and Poictou ; and reunited to the 
crown of France the whole province of Normandy, two- 
hundred -and-ninety-four years after it had been ceded, by 
Charles the Simple, to RoUo, the Dane, the ancestor of 
William. 

Despised by his army, attacked on all sides by his ene- 
mies, expelled from every province in France, John retreat- 
ed into England, with infamy and dishonour. 

That he might cover the disgrace of his own conduct, he 
exclaimed loudly against his barons ; who, he said, had de- 
serted his standard in Normandy ; and, as a punishment for 
this offence, he extorted from them a seventh part of all 
their moveable estate. Soon after, he forced them to grant 
him a tax for another expedition* But he did not attempt 
to enter upon the service for which it was exacted. After 
many similar preparations, which ended in the same man- 
ner, he carried his hostile measures a step further; and ac- 
tually ventured abroad with an army. Terrified, however, 
by the approach of Philip, he made proposals for peace, 
and fixed a place of interview with his enemy. But, in- 
stead of keeping this engagement, he secretly withdrew his 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 69 

forces, embarked at Rochelle, and returned to England ; 
loaded with additional disgrace. 

In an age when personal valour was regarded as the chief 
accomplishment, such conduct must have been exposed to 
extreme contempt. But the government exercised by the 
Norman princes, had wound up the royal power to so high 
a pitch, that even still further degradation of the regal dig- 
nity seemed necessary, to impel the barons to insurrection. 

A controversy relating to an ecclesiastical election, com- 
pleted that odium, which, whilst it debased the sovereign, 
contributed to enlarge the liberties of the subject. The 
pope, without a previous writ from the king, had caused 
Langton to be chosen archbishop of Canterbury ; but, aware 
that this usurpation would be highly resented by the court 
of England, he despatched to John four gold rings, accom- 
panied by this flattering epistle. <'I beg, my son, that you 
will consider seriously the form of these rings ; their num- 
ber, their matter, and their colour. Their form, being 
round, is typical of Eternity, which has neither beginning 
nor end ; and you ought, thence, to learn the duty of as- 
piring from earthly objects, to heavenly — from things tem- 
poral, to things eternal. The number four, being a square, 
denotes Steadiness of Mind ; not to be subverted by either 
adversity or prosperity ; fixed, for ever, on the firm basis of 
the four cardinal virtues. Gold, which is the matter, be- 
ing the most precious of metals, signifies Wisdom ; which 
is the most valuable of all accomplishments, and justly 
preferred by Solomon, to riches, power, and every exterior 
acquirement. The blue colour of the sapphire represents 
Faith : the verdure of the emerald, Hope : the redness of 
the ruby. Charity; and the splendour of the topaz, Good 
Works." 

This, however, was not sufficient to appease him. He 
vented his rage against all those who had concurred in the 
irregular instalment ; and the pope, on his part, prepared 
to assert his claims by the application of his spiritual thun- 
ders. The kingdom was, consequently, placed under an 
Interdict; the execution of which was calculated to strike 
the senses in the highest degree, and operate on the mind 
■with irresistible force. The nation was suddenly deprived 
of ail exterior exercise of religion. The altars were despoil- 
ed of their ornaments : the crosses, the relics, the images, 
the statues of the saints, were laid on the ground ; and, as 
if the air itself was profaned, and might pollute them by its 
contact, the priests carefully covered them up, even from 
F 2 



00 HISTORY Oi' ENGLAND. 

their own approach and veneration. The use of bells en- 
tirely ceased in all the churches: mass was celebrated with 
closed doors ; and none but the priests were allowecLto he; 
present at the ceremony. The laity partook of no religious 
rite, except baptism to new-born infants, and the commu- 
nion to the dying : the dead were not interred in conse- 
crated ground; they were thrown into ditches, or buried in 
the fields. Marriage was celebrated in the church-yards; 
and, that every action in life might bear the marks of this 
dreadful situation, the people were prohibited the use of 
meat, as in lent ; were debarred from every pleasure, and 
forbidden to salute each other, or even to shave their beards, 
or give any decent attention to their persons or apparel. 
Every circumstance carried the appearance of the deepest 
distress, and produced an apprehension of immediate divine 
indignation and vengeance. 

Dreadful, however, as this sentence was, the king seems 
to have been less alarmed by it than the pope expected. John 
appeared determined to set him at defiance. The pope, 
therefore, proceeded to issue against him the more dreadful 
sentence of excommunication : he likewise absolved his sub- 
jects from their oath of allegiance ; solemnly deposed him 
from his throne ; and gave his dominions to the king of 

1 "'ranee. 

But John, was ut last induced, after a violent struggle, 
to yield to the pope ; and even to submit to the mortifying 
condition of acknowledging himself a vassal of the Roman 
see. He resigned his dominions to pope Innocent and his 
successors ; and agreed to hold them by the annual pay- 
ment of a thousand marks. He did homage to Pandolph, 
the pope's legate, with all the submissive forms which the 
feudal law required of vassals before their superior lord. 
He came disarmed into the legate's presence, Avho was 
.seated on a throne; threv/ himself on his knees before him; 
lifted up his joined hands, and put them within those of 
Pandolph ; swore fealty to the pope ; and paid a part of the 
stipulated tribute. 

Such, were the unhappy consequences of John's homage, 
that the value of English benefices, at one time possessed 
by Italian non-resident priests, exceeded the ordinary reve- 
nue of the crown ; and the historians of that age tell us, 
^hat Rome sheared all Europe, but in England she stripped 
off the skin. 

In the mean time, John's natural inclination to tyranny 
increased. He seemed, wantonly, to disgust all orders of 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 61 

rhen ; especially his nobles ; from whom, alone, he could 
reasonably expect assistance. He dishonoured their fami- 
lies by licentious amours ; restrained them from hunting 
feathered game ; ordered that all the hedges and fences, 
near his forests, should be leveled, to give his deer access 
into the fields for pasture; and continually loaded the na- 
tion with arbitrary taxes. He once demanded a large sum 
of money from a Jew of Bristol ; and, on his refusal, order- 
ed one of his teeth to be drawn, every day, until he would 
comply. The Jew allowed seven teeth to be taken, and 
then paid the required amount. 

Enough has been already detailed, to show the necessity 
of reform. We shall now give a summary view of the glo- 
rious effects which resulted from this tyranny, when the 
crisis had arrived. 

The barons, having chosen Robert Fitz-Walter for their 
general, took the field, in defence of their honour and their 
liberty. John, being soon left with a very slender retinue, 
was unable to withstand this strenuous attack. A confer- 
ence was appointed to be held at Runnemede, betv/een 
Windsor and Staines ; a place which has ever since been 
celebrated, on account of this great event. The king and 
the barons encamped apart, as open enemies; and, 
after a debate of a few days, John, with a facility 
rather suspicious, signed the contract which was required. 
This famous deed, commonly called MAGNA CHARTA, 
or the Great Charter, either granted or secured very im- 
portant liberties and privileges to every order of men in 
the kingdom ; to the clergy, to the barons, and to the 
people. 

One clause in this venerable instrument deserves parti- 
cular attention; as it formed the germeof the present Brit- 
ish Parliament; or rather the re-establishment of the Saxon 
Wittenagemot, and the great national council, such as it 
was before the Conquest, and such as William had solemn- 
ly sworn to maintain : « No scutage or aid shall be im- 
posed, but by the great council of the nation; except in the 
three general feudal cases— -the king's captivity, the knight- 
ing of his eldest son, and the marriage of his eldest daugh- 
ter : the prelates, earls, and great barons, shall be called to 
this great council, each by a particular writ ; the lesser ba- 
rons, by a general summons of the sheriff." 

The liberties of Englishmen are not (as some arbitrary 
writers would represent them) mere infringements on the 
king's prerogative, extorted from their princes, by taking 



6*2 HISTORV OF ENGLAND. 

advantage of their weakness ; but a restoration of their an 
cient constitution, of which their ancestors had been de- 
frauded, by the art and finesse of the Norman lawyers, rather 
than by the force of the Norman arms. 

John died in the castle of Newark-upon-Trent, in the 
forty-ninth year of his age, and the eighteenth of his reign- 
He left two legitimate sons ; Henry and Richard ; the for- 
mer nine, the latter only seven years old. 

It was in this reign, that the citizens of London procur- 
ed a charter, which conferred on them the right of choos- 
ing, annually, a mayor, out of their own body ; that office, 
previously, having been held for life. They also obtained 
the power to elect and remove their sheriffs at pleasure ; 
and their common-council-men every year. London Bridge 
was finished in this reign ; being erected on the site of a 
previous structure which was of wood. 

HENRY THE THIRD. 

1216 — 1272. 

The concession of the Great Charter, or rather its full 
establishment, for there was a considerable interval between 
the one and the other, introduced a degree of order and 
justice into the administration. Yet this charter made no 
provision for the creation of new courts, or magistrates, or 
senates, nor for the abolition of the old. It made no inno- 
vation in the public law of the kingdom. It only enforced 
the operation of those laws which already existed. The 
barbarous license of the king, and perhaps also of the no- 
bles, was, thenceforth, more restrained : men acquired ad- 
ditional security for their liberties ; and political authority 
approached nearer to that end for which it was originally 
instituted — the distribution of justice, and the equal pro- 
tection of the citizens. 

Were we, in delineating the events of this reign, to de- 
vote attention in proportion to their number, we should be 
exercising a talent destructive of the real utility of history, 
Who could have the patience to write, or even to read, a 
long detail of such frivolous occurrences, as those with 
which it is filled ; or attend to the tedious narrative, which 
would follow, through a period of fifty-six years, the capri- 
ces of so weak a monarch as Henry ? 

The earl of Pembroke was appointed protector of the 
kingdom, during the minority of the young prince. This 
nobleman, who had maintained his loyalty to John, through 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 63 

the lowest fortune of that monarch, determined to support 
the authority of the infant king ; and was not dismayed by 
the number or violence of his enemies. As the nation was 
still agitated by the effects of those struggles made in the 
preceding reign, Pembroke wrote letters, in the king's name, 
to the malcontent barons ; in which, he represented, that, 
whatever animosity they might have entertained against 
the late king, there had now succeeded to the throne a 
young prince, the lineal heir of their ancient sovereigns : 
that, as all past offences of the barons were now buried in 
oblivion, they ought, on their part, to forget their com- 
plaints against the deceased monarch ; who, if he had been 
in any measure blameable in his conduct, left to his son 
the salutary warning, to avoid the paths which had led to 
extremities so fatal ; and, that having now obtained a char- 
ter for their liberties, it was their interest to show, that the 
acquisition v/asnot incompatible with their allegiance; and, 
that the rights of king and people, so far from being hostile 
and opposite, might mutually support and sustain each 
other. 

These considerations, enforced by the great weight of the 
protector's character, had a powerful influence on the bar- 
ons. The majority began secretly to negotiate with him : 
many soon openly returned to their duty ; and, in a few 
months, a general pacification was effected. But Pembroke 
did not long survive the consummation of his labours. He 
was succeeded by Peter de Roches, bishop of Winchester, 
and Hubert de Burgh, high justiciary. The latter took 
the most active part in the administration. Though, how- 
ever, he was a statesman of considerable ability, and a man 
of honour, yet he was not possessed of sufficient authority 
to restrain the turbulence of the barons. They held, by 
force, the royal castles, which had been committed to their 
custody by the protector : they seized the royal demesnes ; 
oppressed their vassals ; invited disorderly people to live 
upon their lands, and gave them protection in all their rob- 
beries and devastations. 

^ Notwithstanding these intestine commotions, and 

". "* the precarious authority of the crown, (Henry be- 
ing now only in his sixteenth year,) the kingdom was oblig- 
ed to carry on a war with France. But no military action 
of any moment was performed on either side. 

De Burgh, the most virtuous minister that Henry ever 
possessed, having been removed from office, was succeeded 
by his colleague,\he bishop of Winchester. Henry, though 



64 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

incapable of pursuing the same violent measures, by which 
his father had so disgusted the nation, had imbibed simi- 
lar principles of tyranny ; and, prompted by the evil coun- 
sel of his minister, drove the barons to form another com- 
bination against the crown. In a very full parliament, 
when he demanded a supply of money, he was openly re- 
proached with the breach of his word, and the frequent vio- 
lations of the great charter. He was asked, whether he 
did not blush, when desiring aid from a people whom he 
professedly hated and despised ; to whom, on all occasions, 
he preferred foreigners ; and who groaned .under the op- 
pressions which he either exercised or permitted. He was 
told, that besides insulting the nobility, by forcing them to 
contract unequal and mean marriages with strangers, no 
rank of men was so low as to escape vexations, from him- 
self or his ministers : that even the meat consumed in his 
household ; the clothes which he and his servants wore — 
still more, the wine, which they used ; were all taken, by 
force, from the lawful owners : that foreign merchants shun- 
ned the English harbours, as if they were possessed by pi- 
rates ; and commerce, with every nation, was thus cut off 
by violence : and that, even the poor fishermen could not 
escape the oppression of himself and his courtiers. 

On one occasion, the ecclesiastical order sent a deputa- 
tion of four prelates — the primate, the bishops of Winches- 
ter, Salisbury, and Carlisle, to remonstrate with him on his 
frequent violations of their privileges, the oppressions with 
which he had loaded them and all his subjects, and tlie un- 
cano7iical and forced elections %vhich luere 7nade to vacant 
dignities in the church. "It is true," replied the king, "I 
have been rather faulty, in this particular. I obtruded you, 
my lord of Canterbury, upon your see : I was obliged to em- 
ploy both intreaties, and menaces, my lord of Winchester, 
to have you elected: my proceedings, I confess, were very 
irregular, my lords of Salisbury and Carlisle, when I raised 
you, from the lowest stations, to your present dignities. I 
am, therefore, determined, henceforth, to correct these 
abuses ; and it will also become you, in order to make a 
thorough reformation, to resign your present benefices, ;md 
try to enter again in a more regular and canonical manner." 
The bishops, surprised by these unexpected sarcasms, re- 
plied, that the question was not how to correct errors which 
■were past, but how to avoid them for the future. 
,^ -g The imprudent and illegal measures of the gov- 

ernment induced Simon de Mountfort, carl of Eei- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 65 

cester, a brother-in-law of the king, to attempt a revolution. 
Assisted by many powerful barons, he waged war against the 
king, and compelled him to agree to an extensive reform ; 
particularly as regarded a more equal and popular repre- 
sentation in parliament. This reign, therefore, may be con- 
sidered ^as the epoch of the House of Commons. ' Two 
knights were now elected, to sit in the legislature, from 
each county ; and deputies were admitted also from the 
boroughs. The parliaments, before, seem to have consisted 
exclusively of the nobles. 

Overcome by the cares of government and the infirmi- 
ties of age, the king died at St. Edmondsbury, when he had 
reached the sixty-fourth year of his age, and the fifty-sixth 
of his reign ; leaving two sons — Edward, his successor, and 
Edmund, earl of Lancaster; also two daughters — Marga- 
ret, queen of Scotland, and Beatrix, dutchess of Brittany. 

In this reign, the manufacturing of linen was introduced 
into England, although there was yet in the kingdom no 
cultivation of flax ; and, coals, the first that were raised in 
the country, were dug from the mines at New Castle. The 
state of our language, about this time, may be discerned by 
the following extract from an historical poem, written by 
Robert of Gloucester.* 

The greatest luminary of science in the whole world, 
during this century, was Roger Bacon ; a Franciscan friar, 
born near Ilchester, in 1214. He began his studies at Ox- 
ford ; from which seminary, he went to Paris : and, after a 
long residence there, he returned to England, and studied 
experimental philosophy with unremitting ardour. This 
extraordinary man was familiar with the theory and prac- 
tice of perspective ; understood the use of concave and 
convex glasses ; knew the great error in the kalendar, and 
proposed the remedy. He was also an adept in chemistry^ 
and he is mentioned as the inventor of gunpowder. Through 
the envy and malice of his illiterate fraternity, who spread 
the puerile report of his dealing with an evil spirit, he was 
imprisoned in his cell for ten years, and the reading of his 
works was prohibited. These are, " Ejiistola fratris Ro- 

* Of }>e batayles of Denemarch, ]7at hii dude in }?ys londc 
j?at worst were of alle o]?ere, we motte abbe an honde. 
Worst hii were vor o]>ere adde somwanne ydo, 
As Ropieyns 8c Saxons, Sc well wuste |:»at lond }?erto. 
Ac hii ne kept yt holde nojt, bote robby, and ssende, 
And destrue, k berne, & sle, & ne cou}>e abbe non cnde. 



66 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

geri Baconis de secretis ofieribus ai-tis et nature^ et de nul^ 
litate magia ;" printed in Paris in 1542 ;— " Ojius majus ;'^ 
— <' Thesaurus chemicus ;" all in Latin ; the titles of which 
may be translated thus : The Letter of brother Roger Ba- 
con, on the secret operations of art and nature, and on the 
nonexistence of magic — The Greater Work — The Chemi- 
cal Treasury — He died, in the succeeding reign, in the 
eightieth year of his age. 

The other distinguished scholars of this time, were Gi- 
raldus Cambrensis, Matthew Paris, and Bracton. The lat- 
ter was chief justice, and wrote, in the Latin language, as 
it was then usual, a book on the laws and customs of Eng- 
land ; which is one of the most ancient as well as most 
methodical w^orks of the kind produced in Britain. 

EDWARD THE FIRST. 

1272—1307. 

In a battle at Evesham, and many other engagements in 
his father's reign, as well as in a crusade against the Sara- 
cens, Edward had given most striking indications of those 
splendid talents for command, by which, after he ascended 
the throne, he was so eminently distinguished. He so ter- 
rified the Saracens, that they employed a ruffian to assas- 
sinate him. Having procured admittance to the prince, 
under pretence of negotiating, he took an opportunity, 
when only Edward and himself were in the room, to aim a 
poisoned dagger at his breast. Edward found means to 
ward off the stroke; though, in so doing, he was wounded 
in the arm ; and, perceiving the wa'etch about to repeat the 
blow, he struck him so forcibly with his foot, that he threw 
him upon the ground ; and then, wresting the dagger from 
his hand, he plunged it into the barbarian's heart. Ed- 
ward's wound seemed, at first, very dangerous : but it was 
at last cured, according to many writers, by the devoted 
affection of his consort, Eleanor of Castile ; who, in order 
to save her husband's life, at the evident hazard of her own, 
sucked out the poison with her mouth. 

Edward had reached Sicily, in his return from the Holy 
Land, when he received information of his father's death ; 
upon which occasion, he discovered a deep concern. At 
the same time, he was told of the death of an infant son, 
John; whom Eleanor had borne him in Palestine. As he 
appeared much less affected with this misfortune, the king 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 67 

<5i Sicily expressed his surprise ; to whom, Edward repliedj 
that the death of a child was a loss which he might hope 
to repair— the death of a parent was a loss irreparable. , In 
his passage through Chalons, in Burgundy, he was chal« 
lenged, by the prince of that country, to a tournament ; and, 
as Edward excelled in that martial and dangerous exercise, 
the true image of war, he did not decline the opportunity 
of acquiring honour and renown, in presence of so many 
nobles as were then collected. But the resemblance of 
war was, here, unfortunately, turned into reality. Edward 
and his retinue were so successful in the jousts, that the 
French knights, provoked at their superiority, made a seri- 
ous attack, which was repulsed ; and much blood was idly 
shed in the quarrel. 

It is said, that, in order to heighten the grandeur of his 
coronation, five-hundred horses were turned loose, with 
liberty for every one to keep as many as he could catch. 

Edward lost no time in commencing the removal of those 
disorders, which the civil commotions, and the loose ad- 
ministration of his father, had introduced into every part of 
the government. But, notwithstanding the judicious insti= 
tutions, and public spirited plans, of this prince, we cannot 
acquit him of those numerous charges, which the history 
of his own time displays, respecting the severity of his dis- 
position, and the unrestrained extortion which he frequent- 
ly exercised, when money was required. He w^as an up- 
right arbiter between one subject and another; but, in his 
own cause, a rapacious tyrant. The Jews, who, since their 
first establishment in England, v/ere invariably persecuted 
and plundered, felt, in this reign, the overwhelming effects 
of his oppression. Had these unfortunate people been de-= 
void of riches, they would also have been free from the im- 
putation of crime. 
,^ The king now undertook an enterprise, the suc- 

cess of which might have been as glorious to him- 
self, as it was advantageous to his people. This was, the 
conquest of Wales. Lewellyn, prince of that country, had 
been deeply engaged with the Mountfort party ; and had 
employed every expedient to depress the royal cause, and 
promote the encroachments of the barons. In the general 
accommodation, though Lewellyn had obtained a pardon, 
yet he seized every opportunity of sowing dissentions 
amongst the English, and lessening the authority of gov- 
ernment. Edward was not displeased with this occasion 
for exercising his favourite pursuit of war, and reducing, 
G 



68 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

entirely, the principality of Wales. The Welsh prince had 
no resource but in retiring to his mountains, which were 
inaccessible to an invading army; and had, hitherto, through 
so many ages, defended his predecessors against all the 
attempts of the Saxons and the Normans. He took re- 
fuge in the hills of Snowdon ; and resolved to hold out 
to the last extremity. But Edward, equally vigorous and 
cautious, entering by the north, pierced into the heart of 
the country ; and, having carefully explored every road be- 
fore him, and secured every pass behind, he approached 
the Welsh army in its last retreat. He here avoided put- 
ting to trial the valour of a nation, proud of its ancient in- 
dependence, and inflamed with animosity against its here- 
ditary enemies ; but trusted to the slow, though sure effects, 
of famine. Destitute of magazines, and cooped up in a nar- 
row corner, the Welsh army and their cattle suffered equal 
deprivation ; and Lewellyn, without being able to strike a 
single blow, submitted to the discretion of the victor. He 
bound himself to pay to Edward fifty -thou sand pounds, as 
reparation for damages, to do homage to the crown of Eng- 
land, and relinquish the country between Cheshire and the 
river Conway. 

But the English, insolent from the recollection of their 
easy victory, oppressed the inhabitants of the ceded dis- 
tricts ; and, by many other injuries, raised the indignation 
of the Welsh ; so that they determined, again to encounter 
a force, already found to be so much superior, rather than 
any longer submit to the severity of oppression. They 
flew to arms. This was what Edward had desired. With 
a powerful army, he adva.nced with rapidity into Wales — 
he fought and was victorious. All the Welsh nobility sub- 
mitted to the conqueror : the laws of England were estab- 
lished in the principality ; an important object, which it 
had required eight-hundred years fully to eftectuate. 

It is with reluctance that we sully our pages with the 
deeds of cruelty which he then committed. Sensible that 
nothing kept alive the ideas of military valour and of an- 
cient glory, so much as the traditional poetry of the people, 
which, assisted by the power of music, and the jollity of 
festivals, made a deep impression on the minds of the youth, 
he gathered together all the Welsh bards, and, with a bar- 
barous policy, ordered them to be put to death. 

We now come to give some account of the affairs of 
Scotland, which produced the most important occurrences 
of this reign. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 69 

The intercourse of that kingdom with England, either in 
peace or war, hitherto produced so few events of moment, 
that we have paid them little attention. The government 
of Scotland was continually exposed to those factions and 
convulsions, which are incident to all barbarous countries, 
and to many that are civilized; but, though the succession 
of their kings had been disordered by irregularities and. 
usurpations, the true heir of the royal family, had, ultimate- 
ly, prevailed; and Alexander the third, who had 
' married Edward's sister, probably inherited, after 
a period of eight-hundred years, and through a succession 
of males? that sceptre which was held by the first k5ng, at 
the time of the original establishment of the Scottish mon- 
archy. Alexander died, without leaving any male issue, 
or any descendants, except Margaret, his grand-daughter. 
This princess, then a minor, seemed, under the protection 
of Edward, her grand-uncle, to be firmly seated on the 
throne of Scotland. The English monarch was, however, 
incited to form ambitious projects on this event; and, hav- 
ing, lately, by force of arms, brought Wales under subjection, 
attempted, by the marriage of the queen with his eldest 
son, Edward, to unite the whole island under one monarchy, 
and, thereby, give it security against invasion. The sud- 
den death of the young princess defeated the king's inten- 
tions. Twelve claimants now appeared ; who, by various 
titles, demanded their right of succession to the Scottish 
crown ; but all these were very soon reduced to three ; by 
the less remote proofs offered, individually, by John Hast- 
ings, John Baliol, and Robert Bruce. Scotland was threat- 
ened with a civil war. Its parliament, therefore, referred 
the dispute to Edward ; not reflecting on his ambitious 
character, and the almost certain ruin which is likely to at- 
tend a small sta.te, divided by factions, when it thus sub- 
mits to the will of a neighbour, so powerful and encroach- 
ing. The temptation was too strong for the English mon- 
arch to resist. He designed, if not to create, at least to 
revive, a claim, of feudal superiority over Scotland. He 
gave his av/ard in favour of Baliol ; who was, accordingly, 
put in possession of the kingdom. The decision, itself, 
was just ; and, had Edward done no more, he would have 
acted an honourable part. But John did not receive an in- 
dependent crown. It was loaded with the disgrace of vas- 
salage. One insult was followed by another : a war ensued : 
Edward marched with a powerful army into Scotland; and, 
after a great battl^ fought near Dunbar, reduced the whole 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

country to subjection. The feeble and timid Baliol hast- 
ened to make submission to the British king ; and surren- 
dered into his hands a crown, which he was more suited to 
dishonour than adorn. 

But the high spirited chiefs of Scotland, could 
not long endure the indignities of those appointed 
to govern them. Almost every nation has, at some period, 
produced a hero. William Wallace was the agent, who, 
by his patriotism, was incited to undertake, and, by his 
courage and abilities, enabled to bring about, the deliver- 
ance of his country. Though, however, the intrepid Wal- 
lace lived not to see the consummation of his hopes, (hav- 
ing been betrayed into Edward's hands, and barbarously 
hanged in London) yet, the flame which he had imparted 
to his brave associates, survived the throbbings of the breast 
which gave it birth. After an arduous struggle for many 
years, they broke the British bonds; and placed the crown, 
once more, upon the head of a native prince, — Robert 
Bruce; a man of conspicuous valour, grandson of that Ro- 
bert who had been a competitor for the crown. 

„ „ Edward, in his march to Scotland with a large 

army, died suddenly at Carlisle, in the north of 
England ; in the sixty-ninth year of his age, and the thirty- 
fifth of his reign ; having enjoined, with his last breath, his 
son and successor never to desist until he had finally sub- 
dued that kingdom. 

The great talents of this prince as a legislator, have 
gained him the appellation of the English Justinian : to the 
form into which he modeled the common-law, the wisdom 
of succeeding ages has not been able to add any consider- 
able improvement. The house of commons, during this 
reign, made a still nearer approach to its present dignity ; 
but, as yet, the members of that body acted merely as As- 
sessors of the public taxes ; they were allowed no interfer- 
ence, whatever, in the enactment of laws. The delegates 
considered their election as a burthen, and, like the mem- 
bers of the American Congress, at the present day, were 
remunerated for their services. 

EDWARD THE SECOND. 

1307—1327. 

This prince, the only surviving son of the late king, was 
HQW in his twenty-third year. He was of a gentle dispo- 



HISTORY OF EiVGLAND. 71 

siiion ; and, as he had never discovered a propensity to any- 
dangerous vice, it was natural to prognosticate tranquillity 
and happiness from his government. But he soon showed 
himself to be totally unqualified for the difficult task of 
managing a turbulent people. Always attached to some 
unworthy favourite,*he forfeited the esteem of his subjects. 
Piers Gavaston, a native of Gascony, was the first that he 
selected as a companion in his frivolous pursuits. But 
that unfortunate associate, in proportion as he was caress- 
ed by the prince, became obnoxious to the barons; and fell 
a victim to their fury. His next favourite, was Hugh le 
Despenser, commonly called Spenser, a young Englishman 
of a noble family ; who, with his father, a man of immense 
estates, exercised unbounded sway over the royal mind. 

By the inconsiderate surrender of his authority, and the 
unremitting attention paid by Edward to his favourite, he 
lost the affections of Isabella, his queen. She retired to 
the court of her brother, the king of France. There, she 
met a young Welsh nobleman, named Roger Mortimer ; 
who, also, being inimical to the administration of the Spen- 
sers, was easily admitted to her company. The graces of 
his person and address gained quickly on her affections : 
he became her confidant and counsellor in all her measures; 
and, at last, engaged her to sacrifice every principle of con- 
jugal fidelity and honour. Hating, now, the man whom 
she had injured, and whom she had never highly valued, 
she entered warmly into all Mortimer's conspiracies ; and, 
having artfully got into her hands the young prince, the 
heir of the monarchy, who was then at Paris, she resolved 
on the utter ruin of the king and his obnoxious companion. 
She accordingly came over into England ; where, being 
joined by many of the pov>^erful nobility, the Spensers soon 
fell a sacrifice to the general attack. The unfortunate 
monarch, after in vain attempting to escape, fell into the 
hands of his enemies; and the queen summoned a parlia- 
ment, which voted his dethronement. Edward did not 
long survive this humiliation : he was put to death, in the 
most barbarous manner, by the infamous Mortimer and his 
associates, in the forty-third year of his age, and the twen- 
tietii of his reign. 

In the sixth year of this reign, was fought, about two 
miles from Stirling, in Scotland, the celebrated battle of 
Bannockburn. Edward himself commanded the English 
forces, and Robert Bruce, the Scottish king, those of his 
own country. This engagement ended in the signal over- 
G 2 



72 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

throw of the British army ; and firmly established the vic- 
torious Robert on the throne of his ancestors. 

EDWARD THE THIRD, 

1327 — 1377. 

A council of regency was now chosen by parliament, to 
superintend the administration of the laws ; and the earl of 
Lancaster, a nobleman of the blood royal, was appointed 
i^uardian and protector of young Edward, eldest son of the 
late monarch. 

Although it might reasonably be expected, that, as the 
weakness of his father had caused an alarming licentious- 
ness amongst the barons, the first disturbance of the pub- 
lic tranquillity would proceed from them ; yet, it was from 
external enemies, that the country felt its earliest attack. 
The king of Scotland, though advanced in years, still re- 
tained that martial spirit which had raised his nation from 
the lowest ebb of fortune, and deemed the present opportunity 
favourable for invading England. He first made an attack 
on the castle of Norham ; in which, he was disappointed. 
He then mustered, on the frontiers, an army of twenty-five- 
thousand men ; and, having selected the earl of Murray 
and Lord Douglas, as generals, he threatened an incursion 
into the northern counties. The English regency, after 
ineifectually using every expedient to restore peace with 
Scotland, made vigorous preparations for war; and, besides 
a native army of sixty-thousand men, they procured a large 
body of foreign cavalry, much superior in discipline to the 
forces of their own country. Young Edward, burning with 
a passion for military fame, appeared at their head; though 
nov/ only in his fifteenth year; and marched in quest of the 
enemy, who had already passed the frontiers, laying waste 
every thing around them. Murray and Douglas were the 
two most celebrated warriors that arose in the long hostili- 
ties between the Scots and English ; and their forces, train- 
ed in the same school, were perfectly qualified for this de- 
sultory and destructive warfare. Except a body of four- 
thousand cavalry, well appointed, and fit to make a steady 
impression in a regular battle, their army consisted of light- 
armed troops, mounted on small horses, which could find 
subsistence any where, and carry them, with rapidity, 
whether they meant to commit depredations on the peace- 
•able inhabitants, to attack an armed enemv, or retreat info 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. rr 

their own country. The whole equipage of one of these 
soldiers, consisted in a bag of oatmeal, which he carried 
behind him; and a light plate of iron, on which, in the 
open fields, he quickly baked his meal into a cake. But 
the principal resource was the cattle which he seized ; the 
cookery of which was as expeditious as any of his other 
operations. After skinning the animal, he placed the hide, 
loose, and hanging in the form of a bag, upon some stakes : 
then poured water into it, kindled a fire below, and thus 
made it serve as a cauldron, for boiling his meat. 

After Edward had long, in vain, followed the enemy, 
who, being little encumbered, were so rapid in their 
marches, he found, at last, that they had fixed their camp 
on the southern bank of the Were, as if they intended to 
await a battle; but their prudent leaders had chosen their 
ground with so much judgment, that the English saw it 
■was impracticable to cross the river in their face, for the 
purpose of attacking them in their present situation. Im- 
patient for revenge and glory, Edward sent them a defi- 
ance ; and challenged them to meet him in an equal field, 
and try the fortune of their arms. The bold spirit of Doug- 
las could not withstand this bravado, and he advised the 
acceptance of the challenge : but he was over-ruled by 
Murray; wdio replied to Edward, that he never took the 
counsel of an enemy. 

Whilst the armies lay in this position, an incident oc- 
curred, which had nearly proved fatal to the English, 
Douglas, having got the watch-word, entered their camp 
secretly, in the night time, with a body of two-hundred 
chosen warriors; and advanced to the royal tent, with a 
design of killing the prince, or carrying him off through 
the midst of his army. But, in that critical moment, some 
of Edward's attendants, awaking, made resistance : his 
chaplain and chamberlain sacrificed their lives for his safe- 
ty; the king himself, after making a valiant defence, escap- 
ed in the dark; and Douglas, after losing the greater part 
of his followers, was glad, with the remainder, to make a 
hasty retreat. Soon afterwards, the enemy silently de- 
camped, in the dead of night, and arrived, without further 
loss, in their own country ; leaving the English monarch 
highly incensed at the disappointment. 

The infamous Mortimer, having added, by repeat- 

"^"^ ' ed crimes, to the heavy weight of guilt by which he 
had rendered himself unworthy of existence, was, at length, 
condemned by a vote of parliament, and hung, on a gibbet;? 



74 HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 

in the neighbourhood of London. Justice was also execut- 
ed on some of the inferior criminals ; particularly Simon 
de Bereford; and the queen was confined to her house at 
Risings. 

, The brave and valiant Bruce, who had recovered 

* by arms the independence of his country, having 
now yielded to the hand of Death, (that conqueror, whose 
unerring dart strikes, equally, the monarch and the sub- 
ject,) the earl of Murray was appointed guardian to his son, 
David, then a minor. Edward, the son of that John Baliol, 
who had been cix)wned king of Scotland, lived at this time 
in Normandy, on a patrimonial estate; without any 
thoughts of reviving the claims of his family to the crown 
of Scotland. But, a dispute having arisen respecting the in- 
terpretation of a treaty, made between England and Scot- 
land, by which all claim of superiority over the latter king- 
dom had been renounced, Baliol was now induced, by the 
English, to renew his pretensions to the Scottish throne. 
This produced a contest; in which Edward was busily en- 
gaged. Baliol was put in possession of the crown, but was 
soon driven from the kingdom; and, after a series of milita- 
ry events, unimportant at the present day, affairs stood 
nearly in the same state as before the v/ar. 

We come now to a transaction, on which depended the 
most memorable events, not only of this long and active 
reign, but of the whole English or French history, during 
more than a century. Edward, when a youth of but fifteen 
years of age, had fondly cherished the idea that he was en- 
titled, in right of his mother, to succeed to the crown of 
France, upon the death of Charles the Fair. There cannot 
be conceived a claim weaker, or worse grounded. The 
principle of excluding females, had been long established 
in that country, and had acquired equal authority with the 
most positive law. It was supported by ancient prece- 
dents : it was confirmed by recent instances, deliberately and 
solemnly decided ; and if Edward was inclined to question 
its validity, he thereby cut off his own pretensions ; as each 
of the last three kings left daughters, who were still alive, 
and stood before him in the order of succession. He was, 
therefore, reduced to assert, that, although his mother, Isa- 
bella, was, on account of her sex, incapable of succeeding, 
he himself, who inherited through her, was not liable to 
any objection, and might claim by the right of propinquity. 
Though, however, the youthful and ambitious mind of Ed- 
ward had rashly entertained this idea, he did not immedi- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 75 

ately insist on his pretensions; as Philip, the monarch, 
then on the throne of France, was a prince of mature years, 
and of an established character, both for prudence and val- 
our. It is, therefore, highly probable, that he would have 
totally relinquished his pretensions, but for some incidents, 
which, subsequently, excited a high degree of animosity 
between the two monarchs. 

„„w Edward, now prepared for a powerful invasion of 
* the French territories. However, before he entered 
on this great enterprise, he affected to consult his parlia- 
ment, and obtained an apparent approbation. He procured 
from them a grant of twenty-thousand sacks of wool, (the 
principal article of export in those days,) which was a good 
instrument to employ with the Flemings, and the price of 
it with his German allies; as he had previously made ar- 
rangements for a supply of troops, with many eminent 
leaders amongst these people. But, after entering the 
French territory, and assuming the title of King of France, 
he was intimidated by the powerful force which Philip 
brought against his hireling troops, and, at last, returned 
into Flanders ; where he dispersed his army. 
, ^^ But Edward was not discouraged by the first dif- 

' ficulty of an undertaking. He passed over into 
England, procured a reinforcement, and fitted out a fleet; 
"with which he again set sail for the invasion of France, 
Philip, having been apprized of the preparations making 
both in England and the Low Countries, collected a fleet 
of four-hundred vessels, having on board forty-thousand 
men. These, he stationed oft^Sluys; with a view of inter- 
cepting his antagonist. The navy of Edward was much 
inferior in number ; consisting only of two-hundred-and- 
forty sail. A fierce and sanguinary engagement ensued^ 
The English archers, then highly celebrated, galled the 
French on their approach ; and, when the vessels grappled, 
and the contest was changed to close fighting, the exam-- 
pie of the king and his gallant nobles so highly animated 
the soldiery and seamen, that they maintained, every 
where, a superiority. Thirty-thousand of the enemy were 
killed, and two-hundred-and-thirty of their vessels taken ; 
although the loss on the side of the English was inconsid- 
erable. It is said, that none of Philip's courtiers dared to 
inform him of this disaster, until his fool or jester had given 
him a hint, by which he was led to discover his misfor- 
tune. 

The German allies of Edward, seeing now a strong pro^ 



76 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

bability of being paid for their services, assembled their 
forces, and expeditiously joined his army. He marched to 
the frontiers of France, at the head of above one-hundred- 
thousand men ; a more numerous body than any that had 
previously, or that has since, been commanded by a king 
of England. But he was completely frustrated in his at- 
tempts; and, after making a truce with the enemy, again 
returned into England. 

^ The truce having expired, Edward again invaded 

' France. His army, w^hich, during the ensuing 
campaign, was crowned with the most splendid success, 
numbered thirty-thousand ; and consisted of four-thousand 
men at arms, ten-thousand archers, ten-thousand Welsh 
infantry, and six-thousand Irish. The Welsh and Irish were 
light, disorderly troops; fitter for doing execution in a pur- 
suit, or ravaging a country, than for any regular action. 
The king created the earl of Arundel, constable of his 
army; the earls of Warwick and Harcourt, marshals: and, 
immediately upon his landing, conferred the honour of 
knighthood on several of the young nobility, and on his 
eldest son, the prince of Wales; who, from the colour of 
his armour, received the name of the Black Prince. He 
then spread his army over the country ; and, though Philip 
used every precaution that prudence could suggest, or 
abilities could execute, Edward penetrated the kingdom 
with rapidity, and some of his light troops carried their 
ravages to the very gates of Paris. 

But being closely pressed by the French monarch, he 
was, at length, obliged to act on the defensive. Besides 
the numerous parties of the enemy, who, under the most 
experienced commanders, assailed him in front and in 
rear, on his right and on his left, Philip himself advanced, 
at the head of a hundred-thousand men. 

As his last resource, he took an advantageous post near 
the village of Crecy. He disposed his army in excellent 
order; determined to await, in tranquillity, the arrival of the 
enemy; for, he expected that their eagerness to engage, 
after all their past disappointments, would hurry them on 
to some rash or ill-concerted action. He drew up his 
forces on a gentle ascent ; and divided them into three lines. 
The first line was commanded by the prince of Wales; 
and, under him, by the earls of Warwick, Oxford, and Har- 
court, by the lords Chandos, Holland, and other noblemen. 
The earls of Arundel and Northampton, with the lords 
Willoughby, Basset, Roos, and sir Lewis Tufton, were at 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 77 

the head of the second. The kmg took on himself the com- 
mand of the thh'd line, which he intended as a reserve. 
He had the precaution to throw up trenches on his flanks; 
and placed all his baggage behind him, in a wood ; which 
also he secured by an entrenchment. 

That he might infuse confidence and spirit throughout 
his army, Edward rode along the ranks, with an air of 
cheerfulness and alacrity; and then addressing them : <' I 
demand, only," said he, *< that you will imitate my own ex- 
ample, and that of my son, the prince of Wales; and, as 
the honour, the lives, the liberties, of all, are now exposed 
to the same danger, I am confident that you will make one 
common eftbrt to extricate yourselves from your present 
difficulties, and, that your united courage, will give you 
the victory over all your enemies." 

The French army, very imperfectly formed into three 
lines, already fatigued and in disorder, now arrive in pre- 
sence of their enemy. The first line, consisting of fifteen- 
thousand Genoese cross-bow-men, was commanded by 
Doria and Grimaldi. The second was led by the count 
D'Alen^on, Philip's brother. The king himself v/as at the 
head of the third. There were in the field, on the side of 
the French monarch, no less than three crowned heads; 
the king of Bohemia, the king of the Romans, and the king 
of Majorca; with all the nobility, and the great vassals of 
the crown. His army amounted to one-hundrcd-and-twen- 
ty-thousand : four times the number of his adversary's. — 
The Genoese begin the attack. The English keep their 
ranks firm and immoveable, and pour forth a rapid stream 
of well directed arrows. The Genoese, in confusion, fall 
back upon the line of D'Alen9on; who, enraged at their 
cowardice, orders his troops to put them to the sword.— 
The artillery of the English now fire amongst the crowd : 
the archers ply, incessantly, their well bent bows: all, 
amongst the enemy, is hurry and confusion, terror and dis- 
may. The young prince of Wales seizes the advantage, 
and leads on his line to the charge. — Now, the French cav- 
alry, recovered from the disorder into which they had been 
thrown by the runaways, advance upon their assailants, 
and, by their superior numbers, begin to hem them round. 
— The battle becomes for some time hot and dangerous; 
and the earl of Warwick, apprehensive of the event, des- 
patches a messenger to the king, entreating him to send 
succours for the relief of the prince. 

Edward had chosen his station on the top of a hill ; from 



78 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

"which, he surveyed, in tranquillity, the scene of action. 
When the messenger accosted him, his first question was, 
whether the prince was slain or wounded — On receiving an 
answer in the negative, " Return," said he, '' to my son, 
and tell him I reserve the glory of this day for him : he will 
be able, without my. assistance, to repel the enemy." 

The prince and his attendants are now inspired with new 
courage. They make an attack, with redoubled vigour, 
upon the French : D'Alen9on falls : the whole line of cav- 
alry is thrown into disorder : the riders are killed or dis- 
mounted — The king of France comes up to their relief — 
but the confusion is past remedy — the whole French army 
take to flight, and are followed, and put to the sword with- 
out mercy, until the pursuit is ended by the darkness of 
the night. 

There fell, on the side of France, twelve-hundred knights, 
fourteen-hundred gentlemen, and above thirty-thousand of 
inferior rank. Many of the principal nobility, and the kings 
of Majorca and Bohemia, were left dead upon the field. 
The fate of the latter was remarkable. He was blind from 
age; but, being resolved to hazard his person for an exam- 
ple, he ordered that the reins of his bridle should be tied, 
on the outside, to the horses of two gentlemen of his train; 
from which arrangement, his dead body, and the bodies of 
his attendants, were afterwards found together, with their 
horses standing by them. His crest was three ostrich 
feathers ; and his motto these German words : Ich dien. 
[1 serve.] The prince of Wales adopted them, as a me- 
morial of his great victory ; and both crest and motto are, 
at the present day, used by the king of Great Britain's eld- 
est son. The loss of the English in this engagement was 
remarkably small — only three knights, one esquire, and 
very few of inferior rank. 

Edward, having taken the town of Calais, after one of 
the most celebrated sieges in the annals of the world, and 
having concluded a truce with France, returned into Eng- 
land.* 
^ When the truce expired, the war with France 

was renewed ; and the prince of Wales was intrust- 
ed with the chief command. He invaded France, and sig- 



* The battle of Crecy was the first affair of importance in which 
Artillery was used. Thoug-h the French also were in possession of 
the invention, they had not any cannon ut Crecy: probably in their 
hurry they had left them behind. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 79 

naiized himself by gaming the celebrated victory of Poic- 
tiers. He had but twelve-thousand men; the enemy sixty- 
thousand : yet the latter v^^cre completely routed ; leaving 
their monarch, John, a captive with the prince. The 
French king was treated by young Edward with the greatest 
humanity and respect ; but was carried as a prisoner to 
London. Here, he met a companion in his misfortunes. 
David Bruce, the Scottish king, had been eleven years a 
prisoner in the hands of Edward. After remaining three 
years, it was agreed, that John should obtain his liberty, 
by paying three-millions of gold crowns : a mutual adjust- 
ment of provinces was made; and Edward relinquished his 
claim to the throne of France. 
. ^^g The health of the Black Prince had long been 

declining ; and, after a lingering illness, he died in 
the forty-sixth year of his age ; illustrious by every virtue, 
and, from his earliest youth, until the hour in which he ex- 
pired, unstained by any blemish. 

The king survived only a few months this melancholy 
incident. He died in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the 
fifty-first of his reign. 

The order of the Garter was instituted by this prince ; 
and it was he who built the magnificent castle of Windsor, 
aided by the architectural knowledge of the learned Wil- 
liam of Wykeham, bishop of Winchester. A parochial 
assessment for the poor now began. The woolen manufac- 
ture was promoted by the introduction of foreign weavers 
and cloth-dressers ; an act of parliament was passed, which 
prohibited the wearing of any cloth except of British manu- 
facture ; and that badge of conquest, the use of the French 
language,in pleadings and public documents, was at this 
time abolished in England. 

Having employed his arms successfully in subduing the 
crown of France, Edward thought it unbecoming the digni- 
ty of the victors to use any longer the language of the van- 
quished : it was therefore enacted, that all trials should 
proceed in the English tongue ; and be entered and enrolled 
in Latin. 

This reign is esteemed the fountain of English poetry. 
Chaucer, who flourished in the time of Edward, was not 
only the first poet, but among the best poetical writers, that 
England has ever shown. His poems, in general, display 
every kind of excellence, except melody and regularity of 
measure ; defects which are to be attributed chiefly to the 
rude state of the English language, at the time in which he 
H 



80 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

wrote. The writings of sir John Mandeville, a scientific 
traveller, furnish us with its form in the year 1356, and 
show the gradual approximation to the present.* 

RICHARD THE SECOND. 

1377—1399. 

Richard, the only surviving son of the Black Prince, was 
but eleven years of age when he succeeded to the throne. 
The young king was assisted in the government by his three 
uncles, the dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester; sons 
of Edward the third ; whose dangerous ambition was check- 
ed by the plain and unimpeachable title of Richard ; the 
affectionate regard which the people bore to the memory 
of his father ; and the different dispositions of the three 
princes. The duke of Lancaster was invested with the 
principal authority : but Gloucester, though the youngest, 
was the most conspicuous; being turbulent, bold, and 
popular. 

The most remarkable event in this reign, was an insur- 
rection of the people ; the second, we believe, that occur- 
red in England. This serious disturbance was caused by 
the unfair method of assessing a poll tax, and the severity 
with which it was collected. A determined spirit of resist- 
ance spread rapidly over many of the principal counties : 
the populace, worked up to the highest pitch of frenzy, by 
the most daring of their leaders, who assumed the names 
of Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, Hob Carter, and Tom Miller, 
entered London ; threatening almost universal destruction. 
However, by the address of young Richard, then only in his 
sixteenth year, and some promises made to them, this 
alarming commotion was, in a short time, quelled. 

„Q The tranquillity of the northern borders was now 

disturbed ; not so much from any national quarrel, 

'as the rivalship between the two martial families of Percy 

of the north of England, and Douglas of Scotland. A well 

• " In that lond, ne in many other bezonde that, no man may see 
the sterre transmontane, that is clept tlie sterre of the see, that is 
unmevable, and that is toward the Northe, that we clepen the lode 
sterre. But men see another sterre, the contrarie to him, that is to- 
ward the Southe, that is clept Antartyk. And right as the schip 
men taken here avys here, and governe hem be the lode sterre, right 
so don scliip men bezonde the parties, be the sterre of the Southe^, 
the which sterre apperethe not to us.'* 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 81 

contested action took place at Otterburne; in which, young 
Percy (surnamed Hotspur) was taken prisoner, and Doug» 
las slain. 

Some insurrections in Ireland obliged the king to go 
over into that country ; which he reduced to obedience. 
But the general conduct of this prince was little suited to 
gain the affections even of his English subjects, or impress 
them with a proper degree of respect for the royal authori- 
ty. Indolent, expensive, addicted to low pleasures, he spent 
the principal part of his life in riot and feasting ; and dissi- 
pated, in idle show, or in bounties to his favourites, the 
revenue which should have been employed for the honour 
and advantage of the nation. Gloucester, taking advantage 
of the public feeling, formed a conspiracy against Kim: but 
the king seized his uncle, and hurried him off to Calais ; 
where, it is supposed, he was assassinated. The duke of 
Lancaster (commonly called John of Gaunt) having shortly 
after died, was succeeded by his son, Henry, earl of Derby ; 
who had, by his conduct and abilities, acquired the esteem 
of the public. Richard, however, refused to put this prince 
in possession of his paternal estates; which produced a 
general insurrection. The slender talents of the duke of 
York, who adhered to the royal cause, were unable to re- 
sist the storm. The king was dethroned, and Lancaster 
obtcdned the crown: the deposed monarch was immured 
in the castle of Pomfret ; and the same party which had. 
wrested from him his feeble sceptre, soon deprived him 
also of his life. 

But, even had king Richard been justly dethroned, the 
crown did not regularly devolve upon Henry. By the rules 
of succession, the posterity of Lionel, duke of Clarence, 
second surviving son of Edward the third, were now enti- 
tled to the throne; the heir of which branch was the young- 
earl of Marche, son of Philippa, the daughter of the duke 
of Clarence, by Edmond Mortimer ; whose descendants, as 
will be seen hereafter, at length established their disputed 
title. 

The House of Commons had now, decidedly, obtained 
the power of legislation. 

John Wickliffe, a secular priest educated at Oxford, who, 
in the latter part of the preceding reign, had begun to spread 
the doctrine of religious reformation, died in 1385. His 
opinions were nearly the same as those afterwards propa- 
gated by Luther, and the other continental reformers, in 
the sixteenth century ; having been carried over into Ger» 



82 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

many by some young men who had been students at Ox- 
ford.* 



CHAPTER XI. 
HENRY THE FOURTH. 

1399 — 1413. 

THE unfortunate Richard left no posterity. The eari 
of Marche, heir of the house of Mortimer, who, previous 
to the usurpation of the duke of Lancaster, had been de- 
clared the next in succession to the crov/n, was, at this time, 
a boy of only seven years of age ; and, as his friends consult- 
ed his safety by observing a profound silence with regard 
to his title, Henry detained him and his younger brother in 
a kind of honourable custody, at Windsor Castle. 

The new king, however, had to encounter many difficul- 
ties. He was opposed by a powerful body of the nobility : 
the peers, in the very first parliament summoned after his 
coronation, broke out into violent animosities; and forty 
gauntlets, the pledges of furious battle, were thrown on the 
floor of the house, by noblemen who gave challenges to as 
many members of opposite opinion. The king had suffi- 
cient authority to restrain the combats ; but he was not able 
to produce reconciliation. These angry passions soon broke 
out into action ; and nothing but the treachery of one of 
the conspirators, prevented Henry's dethronement from 
being as rapid as his elevation. Miseirable monarch ! whose 

* The following" specimen of the language in those days, is taken 
from Wlckhffe's translation of the Bible. 

T.TTK. Chap. J. [Lttkt-.] 
IX the days of Eronde kyng of Judee ther was a prest, Zacarye by 
name : of the sort of Abia, and his wyf was of the doughiris of Aaron : 
and hir name was Elizabeth. 

2 And bothe \\eren juste bifore God: goynge in all the maundemen- 
tls and just ifyingis of the Lord withouten plavnt. 

3 And thei hadden no child, for Elizabeth was bareyn, and botli 
^veren of g-reet age in her dayes. 

4 And it befel that whanne Zacarye schoulddothe office of prest- 
hod, in the order of his course to fore God, 

5 Aftir the custom of the presthod, he wente forlK by lot and en^ 
tride into the temple to encensen. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 83 

only security was the streaming of the scaffold ; and whose 
tottering throne seemed still to vibrate with the agonies of 
his murdered predecessor I 

The revolution in England caused an insurrection in 
Wales, and tempted the Scots to make incursions. In one 
of these, Archibald earl of Douglas, with many more of his 
countrymen, were overtaken by the Percys at Homeldon, 
on the English borders, and made prisoners. Henry sent 
orders to the earl of Northumberland, not to ransom them ; 
though by the laws of war, which then prevailed, he had 
that privilege. The impatient spirit of Harry Percy, and 
the factious disposition of the earl of Worcester, younger 
brother of Northumberland, inflamed the discontents of this 
nobleman, and induced him to seek revenge, by overturn- 
ing that throne which he had assisted to establish. He 
entered into a correspondence with Glendour, a descendant 
of the ancient princes of Wales ; liberated the earl of Doug- 
las; made with him an alliance, and roused up all his par- 
tizans to arms. Northumberland having been suddenly 
deprived of health, the command devolved upon yovmg 
Percy ; who marched towards Shrewsbury, in order to 
form a junction witli Glendour. The king overtook Percy, 
before that noblejiian was joined by his Welsh friends; and 
. „ the policy of one leader, and impatience of the other, 
hastened on the engagement. — The shock was tre- 
mendous. The charges were incessant. Henry exposed 
himself in the thickest of the fight. His gallant son, whose 
military feats became afterwards so famous, now signalized 
Iiimself by his heroic bravery. Percy supported the renown 
which he had hitherto maintained ; and Douglas, formerly 
Iiis enemy, but now his friend, still appeared his rival, 
amidst the horror and confusion of the day. But, whilst 
the armies were thus contending, the death of Percy de- 
rided the victory, and the royalists prevailed. Douglas 
and Worcester were taken prisoners : the former was be- 
headed at Shrewsbury ; the latter was treated with mercy 
and respect. 

Thus, have been related, nearly all the memorable inci- 
dents of this reign ; which, though crowded with sanguina- 
ry commotions, produced few events that deserve to be re- 
corded. 

After an illness of many months, the king expired at 

Westminster, in the forty -sixth year of his age, and the 

fourteenth of his reign. He left four sons : Henry, who 

succeeded to the crown ; Thomas, duke of Clarence; John? 

H 2 



84 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

duke of Bedford; and Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, 
The military order of the Bath was now founded. 

HENRY THE FIFTH. 

1413—1422. 

The precarious title by which the late king held his ele- 
vated situation, had naturally filled his mind with appre- 
hension ; and even his own son, whose reign is now the 
subject of narration, was not exempted from the pernicious 
effect of his unconquerable jealousies. 

The active spirit of young Henry, restrained from its 
proper exercise in political pursuits, broke out, in his 
father's life time, into extravagancies of every kind ; and 
he endeavoured to forget, in riot and debauchery, the dis- 
appointments of an ardent and ambitious mind. — The great 
English dramatist, who availed himself of every striking in- 
cident in history, has not omitted Henry as a fit subject for 
theatrical exhibition. — The nation, however, regarded the 
young prince with an indulgent feeling ; they observed so 
many gleams of generosity, spirit, and magnanimity, break- 
ing continually through the cloud, which a wild conduct 
had thrown over his character, that they never ceased hop- 
ing for his amendment ; and ascribed all his irregularities 
to his father's inattention. 

A riotous companion of the prince had been indicted for 
some disorders, before Gascoigne, the chief justice ; and 
Henry appeared at the bar, to give him his countenance and 
protection. Finding that his presence had not overawed 
the judge, he proceeded to insult him on his tribunal ; but 
Gascoigne, not forgetful of the dignity of his own character, 
and the respect which is due, by all, without distinction, to 
the laws, ordered the prince, for his rude behaviour, to be 
carried to prison. The spectators were agreeably surprised 
when they saw the heir of the crown peaceably submit 
to this sentence, make reparation for his error by an ac- 
knowledgment, and check his impetuosity in the midst of 
its career. 

After his elevation to the regal dignity, the first step taken 
by the young monarch, confirmed all those prepossessions 
which had been entertained in his favour. He called to- 
gether his former companions ; acquainted them with his 
intended reformation; exhorted them to imitate his ex- 
ample ; strictly forbade them to appear any more in his 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 8J 

presence, until they had given proofs of their amendment ^ 
and then dismissed them, with liberal presents. The wise 
and virtuous ministers of his father, and the upright and no- 
ble spirited Gascoigne, were told to persevere in the same 
impartial execution of the laws ; and the character of the 
young king now appeared brighter than if it had never been 
shaded by any errors. Instead of continuing the restraints 
imposed by his father on the earl of Marche, he received 
him with singular courtesy and favour ; which magnanimi- 
ty gained so much on the gentle disposition of his rival, 
that he remained, ever after, sincerely attached to him, and 
gave no disturbance to his future government. The family 
of Percy was restored to its estate and honours : Henry's 
subjects were unanimous in their affection, and the defects 
of his title were forgot amidst their personal regard. 

The late king, upon his death-bed, most emphatically en- 
joined his son, not to allow the English to remain long in 
peace ; but to employ them in foreign expeditions : by which, 
he said, the prince might acquire honour, the nobility, in 
sharing his dangers, might attach themselves to his person, 
and all the restless spirits find occupation for their inquie- 
tude. This request maybe used in palliation of those mili- 
tary exploits, in which Henry was afterwards so eminently 
conspicuous. The injunctions of an expiring parent should 
have a powerful effect upon the conduct of a son : but, still, 
they have not sufficient weight, on our minds, to call forth 
an approval of those reiterated plaudits, given by the histo- 
rians of this prince. We have allowed Henry the full meas- 
ure of our praise, for his deportment as a magistrate : we 
shall withhold them for his conduct as a warrior ; and, only 
the barbarism of the age in which he lived, restrains us from 
throwing into the opposite scale, a weight of censure, which 
would overbalance his domestic virtues. 

Charles the sixth, then on the throne of France, was af- 
flicted with occasional attacks of mental derangement, which 
rendered him incapable of pursuing any steady plan of pub- 
lic government. The administration of affairs was disputed 
by the dukes of Orleans and Burgundy : but, the former 
having been assassinated by order of his rival, the son of 
the murdered prince sought revenge ; and thus, the city of 
Paris was, for a long time, a deplorable scene of violence 
and blood. The advantage which might be made of these 
confusions, was easily perceived in England ; and, accord- 
ing to the maxims too often prevailing amongst nations, 
it was determined to use the favourable opportunity of re° 



86 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

gaining all those provinces wliich his ancestors had possess- 
ed in France, and, as circumstances might direct, of re- 
newing the claim made by Edward the third to the French 
erown. 

Henry put to sea, and landed at Harfleur, with an 
army of thirty-thousand men ; mostly archers. He 
immediately began the siege of that place ; and, enraged at 
a breach of faith in the governor, who had agreed to surren- 
der on a certain day, if succours should not arrive, he or- 
dered a general assault, took the town by storm, and put all 
the garrison to the sword ; except some gentlemen, whom 
the victorious army were induced to spare, in hopes of reap- 
ing profit by their ransom. 

The fatigues of the siege, with the unusual heat of the 
season, had severely wasted the English army. Henry could 
not, therefore, enter on any further enterprise, and wished 
to return to England : but, as he had dismissed his trans- 
ports, he lay under a necessity of going by land to Calais ; 
from which place, he proposed to embark. A French army^ 
of fifty-thousand men, now watched his motions ; and, after 
he had passed the small riverof Ternois, at Blangi, he was 
surprised to observe, from the heights, this pov/erfui ene- 
my, drawn up in the plains of Agincourt; and so posted, 
that it was impossible for him to proceed on his march, 
without hazarding an engagement. So great was the supe- 
riority of the P'rench, in number, that David Gam, a Welsh 
captain, who had been sent out to reconnoitre them, brought 
back word, in the homely style of his country, that there 
was enough to be killed, enough to be taken prisoners, and 
enough to run away. Henry's situation was similar to that 
of Edward at Crecy, and of the Black Prince at Poictiers. 
He was opposed to an army above four times his number ; 
yet no battle was ever more fatal to France than the battle 
of Agincourt. Of the French forces, ten-thousand were kill- 
ed, and fourteen-thousand taken prisoners — nearly half 
their entire army, and more than double the number that 
opposed them I The English lost but forty slain 1 

The trifling resources of all the European princes, in 
those days, prevented them from prosecuting a war, with 
uninterrupted vigour; and Henry, yielding to necessity, 
concluded a truce with the enemy, and returned into Eng- 
land. 

Still distracted by the furious ambition of her roy- 

* al princes, France was, at this time, badly prepared 

to resist invasion. Henry, now aiming at the crov/n of that 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B7 

country, landed, with a numerous army, in Normandy ; and 
was favoured equally by his fortune in the field, and the 
events which occurred amongst the French. The duke of 
Burgundy having been murdered, the young dauphin, heir 
apparent ofthe crown, was not exempted from the imputa- 
tion of having shared in the crime ; though, from his ex- 
treme youth, it is probable he was innocent ofthe charge. 
The son of that prince thought himself bound, by every tie 
of honour and of duty, to revenge the murder of his father. 
The subjection to a foreign enemy, the expulsion of the law- 
ful heir, the slavery of the kingdom, appeared but small 
evils, if they led to the gratification of his feelings. By the 
intrigues, therefore, of the young duke, a treaty was con- 
cluded at Troye ; the principal articles of which, were, that 
Henry should espouse the princess Catherine, the French 
king's daughter; that Charles, during his lifetime, should 
enjoy the title and dignities of king of France ; that Henry 
should be declared and acknowledged heir of the monarchy, 
and be intrusted with the present administration of the gov- 
ernment ; that that kingdom should pass to his heirs gen- 
eral ; that France and England should, for ever, be united 
under one crown ; and that Henry should join his arms to 
those of king Charles and the duke of Burgundy, in order 
to subdue the adherents of Charles, the pretended dauphin. 
Such was the tenor of this astonishing treaty, which trans- 
ferred the crown of France to a stranger : a treaty, which, 
as nothing but the most violent animosity could dictate, so 
nothing but the sword could carry into execution. In a few 
days after, he was married to the princess Catherine : he 
carried his father-in-law to Paris ; got possession of that cap- 
ital, and obtained, from the French parliament, a ratifica- 
tion of the treaty. At length, having succeeded in reducing 
many of the principal towns which had held out against the 
royal authority, he appointed his uncle, the duke of Exeter, 
governor of Paris, and passed over into England, for the 
purpose of raising supplies. 

He had now returned to the French capital; hav- 
ing overcome every difficulty : his queen had a son, 
who was called by his father's name, and was joyfully re- 
garded, both at Paris and London, as the future heir of 
both monarchies. But the earthly glory of the conqueror, 
when it had nearly reached the summit, was stopped short 
by the hand of death, and all his mighty projects glided 
from his view. 



88 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

He died in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the 
tenth of his reign. 

He left the regency of France to his next brother, the 
duke of Bedford; that of England, to his younger, the duke 
of Gloucester ; and the care of his son's person to the earl 
of Warwick. 

The exterior figure and deportment of Henry were en- 
gaging. His stature was rather above the middle size : his 
countenance beautiful : his limbs were slender, but full of 
vigour ; and he excelled in all the warlike and manly exer- 
cises of the age. 

Catherine of France, Henry's widow, married, soon after 
his death, a Welsh gentleman, sir Owen Tudor, (said to 
have been descended from the ancient princes of his coun- 
try) and bore him two sons ; Edmund and Jasper ; of whom, 
the eldest was created earl of Richmond ; the second, earl 
of Pembroke. 

The fixed revenue of the crown during this reign, amount- 
ed only to fifty-five-thousand pounds, and the ordinary ex- 
penses of government to fifty-two-thousand ; so that the 
king had, yearly, for the support of his household, for em- 
bassies, and other contingencies, no more than three-thou- 
sand pounds. 

From the earliest times, until the reign of Edward the 
third, the denomination of money had not been altered. A 
pound sterling was still a pound troy ; (about three pounds 
of the present money ;) hence, the letter L is used to de- 
note a pound of money : which character is deducible ei- 
ther from the Latin, libra, or the French, livre — words 
used in those languages to denote either a pound in weight 
or a pound in money. Through necessity, Edward coined 
twenty-five shillings out of a pound troy : but Henry carri- 
ed the imposition still further; and made thirty shillings 
from the same quantity. His revenue, therefore, wa5 equal 
to one-hundred-and-ten-thousand pounds of the present mo- 
ney ; and, by the price of provisions in his time, equivalent 
to more than three-hundred-and-thirty-thousand.* 

None of the princes of the house of Lancaster ventured 
to impose taxes without the consent of parliament. Their 
doubtful, or bad title, became, so far, advantageous to the 
state ; as, thereby, a precedent was established, which could 
not afterwards, with impunity, be infringed ; even by prin- 
ces of more absolute disposition. 

* In the year 1816, after several intermediate changes, the standard 
was reduced to 66 shiUings from a pound of silver. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 89 

HENRY THE SIXTH. 

1422—1461, 

The British parliament, without paying any regard to the 
will of the late king, assumed the power of giving a new ar- 
rangement to the whole government. Not approving of the 
title of regent with respect to England, they nominated the 
duke of Bedford protector of the kingdom ; a title supposed 
to imply less authority : they invested the duke of Glouce- 
ster with the same dignity, during the absence of his broth- 
er ; and, in order to limit the power of both these princes, 
appointed a council, without whose advice and approbation, 
no measure of importance could be determined. 

The power of administration in France, vested in Henry 
the fifth, by the treaty of Troye, was still continued to his 
heir, though yet an infant ; and the duke of Bedford now 
managed the affairs of that kingdom. The experience, the 
prudence, and valour, of this nobleman, qualified him for 
this high office; and enabled him to maintain union amongst 
his friends, and gain the confidence of his enemies. He was 
at the head of armies inured to victory : he was seconded 
by the most renowned generals of the age — the earls of So- 
merset, Warwick, Salisbury, Suffolk, and Arundel; Sir 
John Talbot, and Sir John Fastolfe. But all these advanta- 
ges were not sufficient to counterbalance the difficulties by 
which he was surrounded. Every political arrangement 
miust yield to the changes produced by time. Many of the 
French nobility, upon whom the regent had most firmly re- 
lied, now felt their interest in supporting the opposite cause; 
and war again resounded over France. 

The city of Orleans was so situated between the provin- 
ces commanded by Henry and those possessed by Charles, 
that it opened an easy entrance into either; and as the duke 
of Bedford intended to make a great effort to penetrate into 
the south of France, he began with this place, now become 
the most important in the kingdom. The eyes of all Eu- 
rope were turned towards a scene, where it was supposed 
that the French were to make their last stand for the inde- 
pendence of their monarchy. The earl of SpJisbury ap- 
proached with an army of ten-thousand men, and commenc- 
ed his operations by an attack upon the outworks ; in which 
affair, he was killed by a cannon-ball. The English, also, 
had several pieces of artillery in their camp : the first that 
were found of importance at any siege in Europe. The earl 



90 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

of Suffolk, upon whom the command devolved, trusted, for 
success, more to famine than to force, and converted the 
siege into a blockade. Great scarcity was soon felt within 
the city. Charles not only gave up the place for lost, but 
began to entertain a very dismal prospect with regard to 
the general state of his affairs. But it was fortunate for this 
good prince, that, as he lay under the dominion of the fair 
sex, the women whom he consulted had the spirit to sup- 
port his sinking resolutions. Mary of Anjou, his queen, in 
particular, exerted herself to kindle in his breast the patriot 
flame. Love was more powerful than ambition — he resolv- 
ed rather to perish with honour in the midst of his friends, 
than yield ingloriously to the frowns of fortune. 
, .-„ The determination which Charles had made in 
compliance with his queen, was soon assisted by a 
female of a very different character; who gave rise to one 
of the most extraordinary revolutions to be found in histo- 
ry. In the village of Domremy, on the borders of Lor- 
raine, there lived a country girl, twenty-seven years of age, 
called Joan d'Arc. She was a servant in a small inn; in 
which station, she was accustomed to tend the horses of 
the guests, to ride them, without a saddle, to the watering 
place, and to perform other offices, which, in well-frequent- 
ed inns, fall to the share of men-servants. This girl was 
of an irreproachable life, and, hitherto, was not remarked 
for any singularity ; probably because she had met with no 
occasion to excite her genius. It is easy to imagine, that 
the present situation of the country was an interesting sub- 
ject of discourse, even to persons of the lowest rank f and 
that the peculiar character of Charles, so strongly inclined 
to friendship and the tender passions, would naturally ren- 
der him the hero of that sex, whose generous minds know 
no bounds in their affections. The siege of Orleans, 
ihe great distress of the garrison and the inhabitants, the 
importance of saving the city and its brave defenders, had 
attracted universal attention; and Joan, inflamed by the 
general excitement, was seized with a wild desire of reliev- 
ing the miseries of her sovereign. Her inexperienced 
mind, employed day and night on this favourite object, 
mistook the impulse of enthusiasm for heavenly inspira- 
tion ; and she fancied that she saw visions, and heard voices, 
exhorting her to expel the invaders of her country. She 
went to the governor of the district, informed him of her 
inspirations and intentions ; and conjured him not to ne- 
glect the voice of God, which spoke through her, but to 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 93 

not forgotten, claim, to her son, Richard, duke of York. 
This prince, descended from Philippa, only daughter of 
the duke of Clarence, second son of Edward the third, stood 
plainly in the order of succession before the king ; who 
derived his descent from the duke of Lancaster, third son 
of that monarch. Thus, the English were to pay the se- 
vere, though late penalty, of their turbulence against Rich- 
ard the second ; and of violating, without just reason, the 
lineal succession of their monarchs. The duke was sec- 
onded by many of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom; 
and, amongst the number, by the celebrated Richard Ne- 
vil, earl of Warwick, commonly known by the appellation 
of King-maker. 
J , A sanguinary engagement between the rival par- 

ties, took place at St. Albans, where the Yorkists 
had the advantage ; upwards of five-thousand of their ene- 
mies having been left dead upon the field. There, the first 
blood was spilled, in that fatal quarrel; which continued for 
thirty years ; v/as signalized by twelve pitched battles ; 
caused the deaths of eighty princes of the blood, and almost 
entirely annihilated the ancient nobility of England. 

After alternate battles and negotiations, the parliament: 
declared the title of the duke of York to be certain and in- 
defeasible ; but, in consideration that Henry had so long 
enjoyed the crov/n, without dispute, they determined that 
he should continue in possession of the title and dignity for 
the remainder of his life, and. that the administration of the 
government should, immediately, be vested in the duke. 

This prince, however, did not long survive the settlement, 
Margaret, the queen of England, still kept the field, with a 
powerful army ; and, in a severe engagement, fought at 
Wakefield, in which she herself commanded, the duke of 
York was killed, and his army defeated. But the affairs of 
the Yorkists were soon retrieved by the bravery of Edward, 
eldest son of the deceased duke ; who entered London, 
amidst the acclamations of the citizens, and Avas, by the 
voice of tiie people, called to the throne, under the title of 
Edward the fourth. 

Thus, ended, the reign of Henry; who, whilst in his 
cradle, had been proclaimed king both of England and 
France : — a prince who should be pitied for his misfortunes, 
as he suffered for the usurpation of another. 

Happily for England, her foreign dominions, except Ca- 
lais and a few other places, were now lost. From this time, 
her maritime adventures were better understood, and more 



94 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

closely pursued ; and, as soon as she had rested from her 
civil wars, she began suddenly to flourish ; and became 
much more considerable in Europe, than when her princes 
were possessed of a larger territory, and her councils were 
distracted by foreign interests. 

The historian employed by Henry the sixth, was Thomas 
Walsingham. The most remarkable law passed in this 
reign, was for the due election of members of parliament, 
in counties : the electors were limited to freeholders who 
possessed forty shillings a year, free from all burthen, with- 
in the county for v/hich the members were to be returned. 



CHAPTER Xn. 
EDWARD THE FOURTH. 

1461 — 148S. 

THERE is no part of English history since the conquest, 
so obscure, and inconsistent, as that of the wars between 
the two houses of York and Lancaster. Some events of 
the utmost importance, in which nearly all the historians of 
those days agree, are contradicted by records; and it is re- 
markable, that this uncertainty occurs just on the eve of 
the restoration of Letters. All we can distinguish, through 
the deep cloud which covers the transactions of that agC;. 
is a scene of horror and bloodshed, savage manners, arbi- 
trary executions, and treacherous, dishonourable conduct, 
in all parties. The chief certainty, in this and in the pre- 
ceding reign, arises, either from public documents, or the 
notice taken of particular occurrences by the French wri- 
ters. It is highly probable, that the scarcity of English au- 
thors, during this period, proceeded from the destruction 
of the convents, which had been almost the sole reposito- 
ries of learning ; as the nobility and gentry were yet in a 
state of profound ignoi'ance. They were so much engaged 
in the sanguinary contests of the field, that they had no 
leisure to attend to the peaceable studies of the closet. 

Young Edward, in the very commencement of his reign, 
gave symptoms of that cruelty which afterwards so strongly 
marked the course of his turbulent career. A tradesman 
in London, who had above his door the sign of thQ crown. 



HISTORV OF ENGLAND. 91 

Second those revelations, which impelled her to this glori- 
ous enterprise. It is uncertain, whether the governor had 
discernment sufficient to perceive, that a great effect might 
be produced on the vulgar, by an instrument so uncom- 
mon ; or, that he was, himself, a convert to this visionary. He 
adopted, however, the scheme of Joan, and gave her some at- 
tendants, who conducted her to the French court at Cliinon. 

The more the king and his ministers were determined 
to profit by the illusion, the more scruples they pretended. 
An assembly of grave theologians examined Joan's mis- 
sion, and pronounced it undoubted and supernatural. She 
was sent to the parliament, then residing at Poictiers, and 
was interrogated before that assembly. The presidents 
and the counsellors, who came, persuaded of her imposture, 
"went away convinced of her inspiration ; and a ray of hope 
soon illumined the minds of those, who, before, were en- 
•eloped in despair. 

Joan was now armed cap-a-pee, was mounted on horse- 
back, and, in that martial habiliment, was shown to the 
people. Her dexterity in managing her steed, though ac- 
quired in her old employment, was regarded as a new 
proof of her mission : her former occupation was even de- 
nied, — she was no longer the servant of an inn. She was 
converted into a shepherdess; and, to render her still more 
interesting, nearly ten years were subtracted from her age. 

When the engine was thus dressed up in full splendour, 
it v^as determined to try its force against the enemy. Joan 
was sent to Blois, where a large convoy was prepared for 
the support of Orleans, and an army of ten-thousand men 
assembled to escort it. She ordered all the soldiers to con- 
fess their sins, before they set out ; banished from the camp 
all women of bad fame; and insisted, in right of her pro- 
phetic mission, that the convoy should enter Orleans, by 
the direct road, from the side of Beausse. But the count 
of Dunois, an able general, unwilling to relinquish the rules 
of the military art, ordered that it should approach by the 
vt/ie?' side of the river; where, he knew, was stationed the 
weakest part of the English army. 

The powerful influence of superstition on the minds of 
the besiegers, became evident. When the convoy ap« 
proached the river, a sally was made by the garrison, on 
the side of Beausse, to prevent the English general from 
sending any detachment to the other side : the provisions 
were then peaceably embarked in boats, sent out by the in- 
habitants: Joan covered with her troops the embarkation: 
I 



92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

SulTolk did not venture to attack her; and the French gen- 
eral returned with his army in safety to Blois. The Maid 
of Orleans, (by which name this female is generally known) 
entered the town, arrayed in her military garb, displaying 
a consecrated standard, and was received by all the inhabit- 
ants as a celestial deliverer. They now believed, that, un- 
der her sacred influence, they were invincible; and Dunois 
himself, perceiving so wonderful an alteration, both in 
friends and enemies, consented that the next convoy, which 
was expected in a few days, should enter by the side of 
Beausse. — The convoy approaches — no sign of resistance 
appears — the wagons and troops pass through the redoubts, 
without interruption — and there remain amongst the be- 
siegers a dead silence and astonishment 1 

We have now related the most interesting scenes in 
which this remarkable character so conspicuously appear- 
ed. The blockading army, after her entrance into the city, 
did not long remain before its walls; and, from this time, 
the affairs of the English gradually declined in France. 
The duke of Bedford, however, displayed pre-eminent 
abilities in bearing up against the misfortunes of the army; 
but his death, which happened in about six years from the 
commencement of these reverses, hastened the evacuation 
of the French dominions. That amiable character by which 
he had long been distinguished, was, unhappily, sullied by 
an atrocious act of barbarism. The Maid of Orleans, had, 
by the chances of war, fallen into his hands ; and this ad- 
mirable heroine, to whom, as an elegant writer has observ- 
ed, the more generous superstition of the ancients would 
have erected altars, was, on pretence of heresy and magic, 
delivered to the flames ; and expiated, by that dreadful pun- 
ishment, the signal services which she had rendered to her 
prince and her native country. 

The English were not finally subdued in France until 
the year 1450; and, even then, neither a truce nor a peace 
was concluded : nor can it be said that they were over- 
thrown by the strength of their opponents; as their retreat 
proceeded from a gradual diminution in their numbers, 
which could not be recruited. 

Henry's incapacity for government appeared every day 
in a fuller light, and his title to the British crown was now 
disputed. All the males of the house of Mortimer were ex- 
tinct ; but Anne, sister of the last earl of Marche, having 
been espoused by the earl of Cambridge, beheaded in the 
reign of Flenry the fifth, had transmitted her latent, though 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 95 

having jocosely said that he would make his son heir to 
the crown^ this harmless pleasantry was interpreted to have 
been spoken in derision of the king's assumed title ; and he 
was, for this implied offence, condemned and executed. 
Such an act of tyranny was a suitable prelude to the scenes 
which followed. The scaffold and the field incessantly 
streamed with blood, shed in the quarrel between the two 
rival families. The adherents of the house of Lancaster 
chose the red rose, as the symbol of their party : those of 
York, assumed the white ; and thvis, these civil wars were 
known over Europe by the name of the quarrel between 
the Two Roses. 

Queen Margaret being still in the field with a numerous 
army, the king, accompanied by the earl of Warwick, set 
out with a body of forty -thou sand men, to give her battle. 
A sanguinary engagement shortly ensued : the Lancastrians 
were defeated; and the queen, with the unfortunate Henry, 
fled for safety into Scotland. The good effects of this vic- 
tory upon the affairs of Edward, were apparent, in the first 
parliament summoned for the purpose of settling the gov- 
ernment. The members no longer hesitated between the 
two families ; they recognised his title, through the house 
of Mortimer; and declared that he was entitled to the throne 
from the moment of his father's death. 

In the following spring, the nation was again visited by 
the horrors of war. The French king, induced from mo- 
tives of policy to support the weaker party, gave Margaret 
a body of two-thousand men; with which, assisted by a nu- 
merous train of adventurers from vScotland, and many par^ 
dzans of the house of Lancaster, this indefatigable woman. 
again appealed to arms. However, in two engagements 
which occurred, at Hedgley-more and Hexham, her forces 
were completely overthrown. She herself escaped into 
Flanders ; but the weak and unhappy Henry was made 
prisoner, and conveyed to the Tower of London. 

The cruel and unrelenting spirit of Edward, though in- 
ured to the ferocity of civil wars, was, at the same time, ex- 
tremely devoted to the softer passions : which, without miti- 
gating the severity of his temper, maintained over him a 
powerful influence, and shared his attachment with the 
pursuits of ambition and the thirst for military glory. But, 
as it is diflicult to reduce the inclinations within strict 
bounds of propriety, his amorous temper led him into an 
imprudence, fatal to his future repose, and to the stability 
of his throne. 
12 



96 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Sir John Gray of Groby having been killed in batUe, 
fighting' on the side of Lancaster, his widow, Elizabeth, had 
gone to reside with her father, sir Richard Wideville, at 
his seat of Grafton, in Northamptonshire. The king went 
accidentally to the house, after a hunting party; and, as 
the occasion seemed favourable for obtaining some grace 
from this gallant monarch, the young widow, remarkable 
for the elegance of her person, threw herself at his feet, and, 
with tears, entreated him to have pity on her distressed 
and impoverished children. Edward was strongly affected 
by the sight of so much beauty in aftliction : through the 
imperceptible agency of compassion, love stole insensibly 
into his heart; and her sorrow, so becoming a virtuous 
inatron, made his esteem quickly correspond to his affec- 
tion. With assurance of favour, he raised the lovely mourn- 
er from the ground : every moment, by the conversation of 
the amiable object, he found his passion rapidly increase ; 
and was soon reduced to become a suppliant at her feet. 
But, all the endearments, caresses, ancl importunities, of 
the young and fascinating Edward, failed, against her rigid 
and inflexible virtue. Carried, at last, beyond all bounds 
of reason, he offered to share his throne, as well as heart, 
with a woman, whose beauty of person, and dignity of char- 
acter, seemed so well to entitle her to both. Their mar- 
riage was privately celebrated at Grafton ; and the secret, 
for a while, carefully concealed. No one could suspect 
that so libertine a prince would sacrifice so much to a ro- 
mantic passion ; indeed, there were strong reasons which 
rendered this union in the highest degree imprudent and 
dangerous. 

Edward soon felt the effects of his precipitate alliance. 

Not long before, he had commissioned the earl of Warwick, 

to request the hand of Bona of Savoy, sister to the queen 

of France; to which proposal, through the address of that 

nobleman, she had acceded. When, therefore, the incon- 

•^Iderate love-match with the lady Elizabeth came to light, 

•-he high spirited Warwick, delicately susceptible of af- 

front, soon determined to seek revenge. Having 

formed a confederacy with the duke of Clarence, 

the king's eldest brother,) and several more of the chief 

nobility, the earl went over to the continent. There, he 

nad an interview with queen Margaret; and a planof inva- 

->ion was soon arranged, under the auspices of the king of 

France ; who assisted them with an army. Warwick with 

his followers landed at Dartmouth, whilst the king was in 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND 97 

the north, suppressing- an insurrection. The scene which 
ensued, is more like the fiction of romance, than an actual 
historical event. In eleven days from the landinc; of this 
celebrated nobleman, and without even a sword having been 
drawn, Edward was expelled from the kingdom ; and Hen- 
ry the sixth was released from the gloomy walls of his prison, 
and placed upon the throne. 

But the ascendency of the Lancastrians was of short con- 
tinuance. Edward, having obtained an armament from the 
duke of Burgundy, landed, in the ensuing spring, at Rav- 
enspur, in Yorkshire, and marched with rapidity towards 
London. In a sanguinary and well contested action, fought 
at Barnet, near the capital, the reigning party was defeat- 
ed ; and Warwick himself, after combating on foot, fell glo- 
riously amidst the thickest of his enemies. The intrepid 
Margaret landed on the same day at Weymouth, with her 
son, a promising young prince of about eighteen years of 
age, supported by a small body of French troops ; and, be- 
ing joined by several of the English nobility, she pushed 
forward as far as Teukesbury. Here, the expeditious Ed- 
ward soon attacked her : the Lancastrians were totally over- 
thrown, and Margaret and her son taken prisoners. The 
king having asked him how he dared to invade his domin- 
ions, the youth answered, that he came thither to claim his 
just inheritance. For this reply, the barbarous and ungener- 
ous Edward struck him on the face with his gauntlet ; and 
his attendants, taking the blow as a signal for further vio- 
lence, hurried the prince into the next apartment, where 
ihey despatched him with their daggers. Margaret was 
thrown into the Tower : king Henry died, a few days after 
the battle of Teukesbury ; but the cause of his death is un- 
certain. 

In the following year, the duke of Clarence, having giv- 
en some new oflPence to his brother, was condemned to clie; 
and being allowed to choose the manner of his death, was 
drowned, by his own desire, in a butt of Malmsey wine. 

We shall now close the unpleasant scenes of this san- 
guinary period, by the death of the king himself. He died 
in the forty-second year of his age, and the twenty-third of 
his reign; leaving, besides five daughters, Edward prince 
of Wales, his successor, then in his thirteenth year, and 
Richard duke of York, in his ninth. 

It was in the seventh year of this reign, that the modern 
art of Printing was introduced into England, by Edward 
Caxton, of London, This enterprising citizen became ac- 



53 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

quainted, in Germany, with that invaluable method of dis- 
seminating knowledge : where, it was invented, about thir- 
ty years before ; causing an immense improvement on the 
mode of printing from wooden stereo-types, used in remote 
ages by the Chinese. 

EDWARD THE FIFTH. 

1483. 

The late king had expressed a desire, that his brother, 
the duke of Gloucester, should be invested with the regen- 
cy, during the minority of the young prince. But Glouce- 
ster soon determined to usurp the throne, Avhich it was his 
duty to protect. To the greatest abilities, this nobleman 
united an ambition, which no circumstances could deter, no 
principle of justice or generosity could restrain. The chief 
agents in his iniquitous and tragical proceedings, were, the 
duke of Buckingham, Dr. Shaw a clergyman, the mayor of 
London, (brother to the latter,) sir William Catesby, and 
sir James Tyrel. The queen dowager, alarmed at the sud- 
den arrest of her brother the earl of Rivers, and her son sir 
Richard Gray, fled from the treachery of Gloucester, into 
the sanctuary of Westminster; taking with her the five 
princesses, and the duke of York. Menaces and entreaties 
were now used by the duke, to induce the queen to deliver 
up the latter; and she, finding that force would be used, if 
she persisted in a refusal, at last complied. 

The council, without the consent of parliament, having 
appointed the duke of Gloucester protector of the govern- 
ment, he soon proceeded to remove all, who, by connexion, 
attachment, or a sense of duty, stood opposed to his crimi- 
nal design. Lords Rivers and Hastings^, sir Richard Gray 
and sir Thomas Vaughan, were murdered by his order. He 
then openly aspired at the throne; and, by intimating the 
illegitimacy of the king, and his own superior right, through 
the means of sermons from the pulpit and popular ha- 
rangues, he endeavoured to gain the suffrages of the peo- 
ple. But, failing in these, he threw aside almost the sem- 
blance of propriety ; and, with no better title than the hired 
acclamations of a rabble, assumed the crown. 

The fate of the unfortunate and helpless Edward and his 
brother, may easily be foreseen. They were murdered in 
the Tower, the place of their confinement ; and their bodies 
buried there, at the foot of a flight of stairs. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ioi 

ard, duke of York, had not been put to death by his uncle, 
but lay concealed in England. Simon, taking advantage of 
this report, at first instructed his pupil to assume the name 
of that prince ; but, hearing, afterwards, a new rumour, that 
Warwick had escaped from his confinement, he changed 
his plan, and made Simnel personate the latter. It was, 
however, remarked, that Simnel was better informed in 
affairs relating to the royal family, and, particularly to the 
earl of Warwick, than he could be supposed to have been 
from one of Simon's condition ; and it was thence conjec- 
tured, that persons of higher rank participated in the 
scheme : nor was the queen dowager herself exempted from 
suspicion ; as she had been treated very unkindly by the king. 

Simon, very properly judging that the artifice would not 
bear a close inspection, carried his pupil to Ireland ; where 
the inhabitants were zealously attached to the house of York. 
Warwick's father had been chief governor in that island, 
and for his memory they bore an affectionate regard. Here, 
his tale was implicitly believed. The earl of Kildare, who 
was then governor, espoused his cause ; and, by the unan- 
imous voice of the people, he was crow*ned in the castle of 
Dublin, under the title of Edward the sixth. 

When Henry received intelligence of this extraordinary 
event, he ordered that Warv/ick should be taken from the 
Tower, and exposed to public view. This was accordingly 
done, and had the desired effect in England ; but, in Ire- 
land, the delusion still continued. 

The dutchess of Burgundy, sister of Edw^ard the fourth, 
pleased with an opportunity of disturbing the repose of 
Henry, despatched over to Ireland a body of tv/o-thousand 
veteran Germans. These, united with the Irish forces, set 
sail, under the command of the earl of Lincoln, accompani- 
ed by the newiy created king, and landed at Foudrey in 
Lancashire. Thence, they advanced as far as Stoke in Not- 
tinghamshire ; where they were encountered by the royal 
forces, and completely routed, with the loss of tlieir leader 
and four-thousand of the common men. Simnel himself was 
taken prisoner ; but, being too contemptible to excite either 
apprehension or resentment, he was pardoned, made first a 
servant in the king's kitchen, and then advanced to the sta- 
tion of a falconer. 

France had latterly received an immense increase 

• of territory. Normandy, Champagne, Anjou, Dau- 

phiny, Guienne, Provence, and Burgundy, were, for some 

time past, united to her crown : the English were expelled 



102 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

from all their continental possessions, except Calais; and 
Charles the eighth, the present monarch, this year suc- 
ceeded in annexing also the dutchy of Brittany. It was 
evidently the interest of Henry to prevent this depression 
of an ally, and consequent elevation of a rival, already 
grown dangerous from the extent of his dominions. But, 
though he had neglected to render sufficient aid, when it 
might have been given with advantage,, he resolved, at all 
events, to have a war v/ith France; more intent upon gra- 
tifying his ruling passion, by draining the pockets of his 
subjects, than anxious for the deliverance of Brittany. He 
issued orders for levying a Benevolence ; a species of taxa- 
tion, not only pointedly denounced by the Great Charter, 
but, again forbidden, by act of parliament. Archbishop 
Morton, the chancellor, instructed the commissioners to 
employ a dilemma, by which every one might be included 
in its application. If the persons applied to for money liv- 
ed frugal I y^ they were told that thaiv Jiarsiinonij must have 
enriched them: if their establishments were splendid, they 
were supposed opulent from their expenses. 

Q In the autumn of this year, Henry landed at Ca- 

' lais with a large army; Avhich he placed under the 
command of the duke of Bedford and the earl of Oxford. 
It does not appear, however, that the soldiers were much 
harassed in their professional duty, as no military opera- 
tions can be found on record; but we are informed, that 
in about a year after this politic and intimidating parade, 
negotiations for a peace commenced. A few days were 
sufficient for the purpose. The demands of Henry were 
wholly pecuniary; and the king of France, deeming the 
possession of Brittany an equivalent for any sum, readily 
agreed to the proposals. He engaged to pay Henry 
seven-hundred-and-forty-five-lhousand crowns, and his heirs 
a yearly pension of twenty-five-thousand. Thus, the king, 
as is wittily remarked by Bacon, " made profit on his sub- 
jects for the war, and on his enemies for the peace." 

Rather irritated than depressed by the failure of her past 
enterprises, the dutchess of Burgundy was determined at 
least to disturb a government which she was not able to 
subvert. The report of the escape of the young duke of 
York, brother of Edward the fifth, and his subsequent con- 
cealment, was renewed; and another instrument was now 
tutored for deceit. — One Warbec, of Tournay, had, in the 
reign of Edward the fourth, visited London, on business ; 
and had there a son born to him. Having had opportuni- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 99 

RICHARD THE THIRD. 

1483—1485. 

The history of the world does not furnish a more flagrant 
instance of usurpation than that of Richard. Even were 
men disposed to pardon these violations of public right, the 
sense of private and domestic duty, which is not totally ef- 
faced in the most barbarous times, must have produced an 
abhorrence against so detestable a character; and have re- 
presented the murder of the young and innocent princes^ 
his nephews, with whose protection he had been intrusted, 
in the most odious and terrific colours, 

A friendship commenced in villainy and blood, as was 
that of Richard and the duke of Buckingham, can never be 
cemented. No alliance can be lasting, unless sealed by the 
hand of virtue. — Jealousy, on the one side, and reiterated 
demands for past services, on the other, having soon caus- 
ed an irreparable breach, the latter now endeavoured to 
drag Richard from his throne, and place on it the earl of 
Richmond. 

This nobleman was grandson of sir Owen Tudor, and 
Catherine, widow of Henry the fifth ; and was related, by 
blood, to the royal family, through a spurious branch, legi- 
timated (with an express exclusion from the crown) by act 
of parliament. He was descended from the eldest illegiti- 
mate son of John of Gaunt, who was the fourth son of Ed- 
ward the third. Having fled after the battle of Teukesbury, 
to seek refuge with the duke of Brittany, Henry the fourth, 
finding that all the Lancastrians regarded the earl as the 
object of their hopes, requested that the duke would de- 
liver him into his hands : but the utmost he could obtain, 
was a promise, that he should not be allowed to depart 
from that prince's dominions ; and he was, at this time, de- 
tained there in a kind of honourable custody. 

Richard having soon received intelligence of the con- 
spiracy, Buckingham was obliged to take the field. He 
was, however, shortly after, made prisoner, condemned, and 
executed. 

„. The earl of Richmond, with a retinue of about 
two-thousand persons, landed at Milford Haven, in 
Wales. The two rivals approached each other at Bosworth, 
near Leicester; Henry, at the head of six-thousand men; 
Richard, with an army of double that number. A dreadful 
conflict ensued. The sanguinary tyrant fought with a dc- 



100 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

gree of bravery worthy of a better cause : but his forces 
were defeated, and he himself, fighting to the last, perished 
by a fate too mild and honourable for his multiplied enor- 
mities. The soldiers, suddenly prompted by the joy of so 
great success, hailed their victorious leader as their king; 
and the acclamations of " Long live Henry the seventh" 
resounded through the field. 

HENRY THE SEVENTH. 

1485—1509. 

Although the adherents of the house of Lancaster had, 
for some time, considered Henry as the heir of that family, 
yet, even admitting that the pretensions of that line to the 
crown were well founded, which has always been a matter 
of dispute, this prince was not the true heir. Nothing in- 
deed but the obstinacy of faction, could have induced the 
partizans of that house to adopt the earl of Richmond as 
their head ; for, besides the many other objections to his 
title, his mother, through whom he derived his claim, was 
still alive, and evidently preceded him in the order of suc- 
cession. Previous to Henry's return, it was stipulated, that 
he should espouse the princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter 
of Edward the fourth, heir of the family of York, and, by 
right, entitled to the crown. But, unwilling that his claim 
should derive any additional force, from this union of the 
two branches, he carefully avoided the performance of the 
contract, until he had obtained a parliamentary ackpowl- 
edgment of his own title ; and, in the act of settlement, he 
studiously omitted the smallest mention of the princess. 

A few days after the battle of Bosworth, Edward Plan- 
tagenet, earl of Warwick, son to the unfortunate duke of 
Clarence, who had been drowned in the butt of Malmsey, 
and nephew of Edward the fourth, was, by Henry's order, 
conveyed to the Tower. This gave rise to one of the most 
remarkable incidents of the present reign. A priest, named 
Richard Simon, possessed of considerable subtlety and bold- 
ness, had entertained the design of disturbing Henry's gov- 
ernment, by raising a pretender to his crown. For this pur- 
pose, he selected a youth of fifteen years of age, named 
Lambert Simnel ; v/ho, being endowed with understanding 
above his years, and address above his condition, seemed 
well fitted to personate a prince, educated near a court. A 
rumour had been spread, and eagerly received, that Rich 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. loi 

ties of being known to the king, he prevailed with that 
prince, whose manners were very affable, to stand god- 
father for his son ; to whom, he gave the name of Peter. 
Some years afterwards, Warbec, with his family, returned 
to Tournay; where young Peter (called, after the Flemish 
manner, Perkin) did not long remain; buf, by different ac- 
cidents, was carried from place to place ; by which means, 
his origin became unknown, and difficult to be traced by 
the most diligent inquiry. This Perkin Warbec having 
been represented to the dutchess as perfectly fitted to her 
purpose, she became desirous of seeing him, and found 
him even to exceed her expectations. Warbec, being 
properly instructed, was sent over to Ireland ; where he 
was received as the true Plantagenet. Thence, by the in- 
vitation of the French king, he went to Paris ; and was 
there treated with the highest marks of distinction, and vis- 
ited by many of the most respectable nobility of England. 

Henry now ordered that the bodies of the murdered 
princes should be searched for in the Tower; but they 
could not be discovered. However, by the vigorous mea- 
sures which the king pursued against the abettors of this 
impostor, all men of respectability gradually forsook him.* 
^ Perkin, having collected about six-hundred out- 
laws and necessitous persons of all nations, appear- 
ed off the coast of Ke^it ; from which, he was quickly re- 
pulsed. Soon afterwards, he made an attempt upon Ire- 
land. But sir Edward Poynings, the governor, had put the 
affairs of that country in so good a posture, that he met 
'vvith little success. He then bent his course to Scotland, 
and presented himself beibre James the fourth. This mon- 
arch was so much deceived by his plausible accounts and 
elegant deportment, that he gave him in marriage lady 
Catherine Gordon ; a relation of his own, equally eminent 
for her virtue and her beauty. 

As there subsisted, at this time, a considerable jealousy 
betv/een the courts of James and Henry, the former thought 
the opportunity favourable for giving disturbance to his 
neighbour; and, accordingly, having collected a number of 
his border-men, he made several inroads into England, ac- 

* In the reign of Charles the second, the skeletons of those two 
young princes were found in the Tower; in the very spot assigned 
by More, Bacon, and other ancient authors, as Die place of their in- 
terment. This fact sliould be taken as conclusive ag-ainst the doubts, 
expressed by several writers, of their having been murdered by theii' 
uncle. 

K 



i04 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

companied by Warbec. But, in a short time, a truce was 
made between the two countries ; and Perkin was obliged 
to retire from Scotland. Being joined by a few adherents, 
he chose, as a temporary retreat, the wild fastnesses of 
Ireland ; and soon again issuing forth, landed in Cornwall. 
Having then, for the first time, assumed the title of Rich- 
ard the fourth, king of England, he advanced into the 
country ; and, when he arrived at Taunton, his army 
amounted to seven-thousand men. There, however, hear- 
ing that a large force was on its march to oppose him, he 
secretly withdrew to the sanctuary of Beaulieu in the New 
Forest. The rebels submitted to the king's mercy. Lady 
Catherine, wife to Perkin, fell into the hands of Henry; by 
whom she was treated with a degree of generosity and re- 
spect highly to his honour ; Perkin, under a promise of 
pardon, surrendered; but, having entered into a conspira- 
cy with the earl of Warwick, to effect their escape from 
the Tower, by murdering the lieutenant, Perkin was hang- 
ed at Tyburn, and the earl beheaded. 

When Henry was freed from these alarming attacks, he 
employed himself in satiating his avaricious propensity, by 
repeated exactions upon his subjects ; in which illegal pro- 
ceedings, he was assisted chiefly by two lawyers, named 
Empson and Dudley. 

After a busy reign of nearly twenty-four years, 
* Henry yielded to the ravages of a consumption ; hav- 
ing ordered in his will, that restitution should be made to 
all whom he had injured. He was a prince equally conspicu- 
ous for his wisdom in the cabinet and his conduct in the 
field ; and, notwithstanding his occasional errors, the his- 
tory of his country can produce few monarchs who were 
less chargeable with the frailties of man. He left only one 
son, of his own name, who succeeded to the throne; and 
one daughter, Margaret, wife of James the fourth of Scot- 
land. 

It was in this reign, in the year 1492, that Christopher 
Columbus, a native of Genoa, sailed from Cadiz on that 
celebrated voyage which ended in the discovery of the 
Western World ; and it was only by accident, that Henry 
had not a considerable share in the glory of this event. 
Columbus, after experiencing many repulses from the court 
of Spain, sent to England his brother, Bartholomew, to ex- 
plain his projects to the king, and solicit his patronage and 
aid : but, in his passage, Bartholomew was taken by pirates; 
and though Henry, after his release, and subsequent arrival 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 105 

at his court, gave an invitation to his brother to come over, 
it was too late. Columbus, having-, in the mean time, ob- 
tained the countenance of Isabella, was supplied with a 
small fleet, and happily executed his enterprise. In six 
years afterwards, Henry employed Sebastian Cabot, of Bris- 
tol ; who fell in with the main land of America, near the 
sixtieth degree of north latitude ; and then, steering south- 
ward along the coast, discovered a large island, to which 
his sailors gave the name of Newfoundland. Changing his 
course to the west, he came to a smaller island, which he 
named St. John ; and soon reached that part of the new con- 
tinent now called Virginia. 

Many salutary laws were nov,^ enacted. A humane alter- 
ation was made in the courts of justice; Avhich allows to 
foreigners the privilege of a jury, half of whose number are 
also aliens. But, the most important law was one for per- 
mitting the nobility and gentry to break the ancient entails, 
and dispose of their estates ; by which means, the great 
fortunes, and consequently the dangerous influence, of the 
barons, were diminished, and property more equally diffus- 
ed amongst the commons. Several statutes Avere also made 
against engaging retainers, and giving them badges and liv- 
eries ; a practice, by which they were, in a manner, en- 
listed under some great lord, and kept in readiness to assist 
him in all wars, insurrections, and tumults ; and even to 
bear evidence for him, in courts of justice. 



HENRY THE EIGHTH. 

1509 — 1547. 

Every advantage, that the safety of an extensive king- 
dom could demand, or the ambition of a youthful monarch 
could desire, was now united in the British crown :— tran- 
quillity at home ; peace with all abroad ; an improving com- 
merce, and a well stored treasury; a people affectionate to 
their prince ; an undisputed title to the throne. 

The conduct pursued by Henry in the commencement 
of his reign, served to heighten the favourable preposses- 
sions of the public. Anxious to gain the applause, if not 
to increase the happiness, of his subjects, he dismissed from 
his council those men, who, in his father's reign, had been 
most obnoxious to the nation. Of the new ministers, the 



i06 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

most ambitious of royal favour, were, the earl of Surry, and 
Fox, bishop of Winchester. The populace were next grati- 
fied by the punishment of all who had lately assisted in 
plundering' the kingdom ; amongst whom, Empson and 
Dudley, as they had been the most active, so were they the 
most exposed to public hatred ; and, having been brought 
to trial, they suffered an ignominious death. 

Henry now deliberated concerning the completion of his 
marriage with a Spanish princess. His elder brother, Ar- 
thur, prince of Wales, had espoused Catherine of Arragon, 
a daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, and sister of the cele- 
brated Charles the fifth ; Arthur being then about sixteen 
years of age, and Catherine eighteen. But, as Arthur died 
in a few months afterwards, the king, unwilling to restore 
the dowry, compelled his second son, Henry, then only 
twelve years of age, to be contracted to her ; having first 
received the concurrence of the pope. 1 hough, hov/ever, 
this contract had been made by the desire of his father, yet 
their disparity of years, and her former marriage with his 
brother, caused him for a while to hesitate. Her known 
virtue, however, the sweetness of her temper, the affection 
v/hich she bore hini, the political advantages resulting from 
the alliance, together with the approbation of his council, 
determined him, improperly, to consummate the union. 

He was scarcely settled on his throne, when he began to 
enter warmly into the affiiirs of the continental princes. In- 
stigated by the over-reaching intrigues of Ferdinand, and 
a desire to gain the favour of the pope, he invaded France; 
but, after defeating the enemy in an engagement called the 
battle of the Spurs, because, in that action, the French 
made more use of their spurs than of their swords, his 
army was reimbarked. In the mean time, Scotland, always 
the assailant of England, when England made war upon 
France, renewed her depredations. 

An able minister was now required ; and that minister 
was found in the person of Thomas Wolsey, dean of Lin- 
coln. This extraordinary man, born at Ipswich in Suffolk, 
had received a classical education, and being endowed with 
an excellent capacity, was admitted as tutor into the family 
of the marquis of Dorset; where, he gained the friendship 
of his patron. He was afterwards recommended as chap- 
lain to the late king; who esteemed him highly for his dili- 
gence and address: and now, neither his own years, though 
more than forty, nor his clerical profession, were any re- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. lor 

straint upon himself; nor did he check, by any ill-timed 
severity, the occasional pleasures of his new master. 

The summer of this year was employed chiefly in 
preparations for the war with France ; which, after 
many military operations, presenting no interest at the pre- 
sent day, was concluded by a treaty. Henry was contented 
by receiving a million of crowns, due, by stipulation, to his 
father and himself; Lewis, by a contract of marriage with 
the princess Mary, sister to the British king : the one aged 
fifty -four — ^the other, but seventeen. 

The success which, in his absence, had attended the arms 
of Henry, in the North, was much more decisive. In a great 
battle fought in the field of Flouden, near the Cheviot Hills, 
the earl of Surry gained a memorable victory. The king 
of Scotland, brother-in-law of Henry, and most of his prin- 
cipal nobility, were there killed ; and a peace with that 
country was soon concluded. 

Wolsey, whom the king had promoted to the see of Lin- 
coln, was now made archbishop of York ; enjoying, at the 
same time, the emoluments of many other ecclesiastical 
establishments. The pope, observing his great influence 
over the king, by which he wished to profit, advanced him 
to the high dignities of cardinal and legate ; and never did 
any churchman carry the state and splendour of that cha- 
racter to a more exorbitant height. His income is said to 
have been equal to the king's ; and he spent it in a not 
less royal manner. The walls of his palace were covered 
with cloth of gold, or cloth of silver. His plate was of 
massy gold. His train consisted of eight-hundred servants ; 
of whom, many were knights and gentlemen, desirous of 
his patronage. Thus, did the minister of a religion, which 
demands only the modest exterior of simplicity, rival the 
puerile magnificence of an eastern despot. But, neither the 
income of these preferments, nor the pageantry of these 
establishments, could satiate his ambition. Another step 
was yet ungained. The papal chair now occupied his^ 
thoughts ; and to the attainment of this last object of his 
desire, he sacrificed the faith of treaties, and the tranquilli- 
ty of Europe. Always watching the varying revolutions of 
the political machine, he attached himself to that movement 
which tended towards the last goal of his earthly view ; and, 
by sometimes favouring the intrigues of one monarch, 
sometimes those of another, he involved his country in 
foreign broils, equally uninteresting to her feelings, and in- 
jurious to her welfare* Let us, however, whilst we condemnj 
K 2 



108 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

allow a due portion of extenuation. Francis the first, then 
monarch of the French, and Charles the fifth, a prince who 
swayed at once the powerful sceptres of Germany and 
Spain, and into whose treasury were poured the riches of 
the western world — these did not withhold their flattery 
and their countenance, but courted the aspiring cardinal 
with the fawnings of hypocrisy, and encouraged the arden- 
cy of his ambition, by the profusion of their bounties, their 
promises, and familiarities. 

The extensive field in which the authority of the 
Roman pontiff had been so freely practised, began, 
at this time, to contract its limits. From the diffusion of 
polemical essays, caused by the use of printing, a new era 
had arisen ; and Martin Luther, an Augustin friar, pro- 
fessor in the university of Wittemberg, was, by that 
means, enabled to oppose, with unusual effect, the influ- 
ence of the pope, and the prevailing doctrine ; and, hence, 
proceeded that important change called the Reformation. 
The Lutheran princes of Germany, finding that liberty of 
conscience was denied them, combined for their own de- 
fence ; and, as they protested against the votes passed in 
the imperial diet, they received the appellation of protest- 
ants. To the arguments of Luther, Henry replied in Latin, 
with considerable ability : as a return for which voluntary 
service, the pope conferred upon him the title of Defender 
of the Faith ; an appellation still used by his successors : 
though they have rejected the doctrines by which it was 
obtained, and those which the work of Henry had con- 
demned, are now the fundamental principles of the Church 
of England. 

Of the arbitrary measures pursued by the British mon- 
archs, in those days, we can form some idea, by the follow- 
ing instance. When Henry heard that the commons were 
reluctant in granting him a supply of money, he was so 
provoked, that he sent for Edward Montague, one of the 
members, who had considerable influence ; to whom, he 
cried out : " Ho 1 man ! will they not suffer my bill to 
pass ?" And laying his hand on Montague's head, who 
was then on his knees before him, as was customary : " Get 
my bill passed by to-morrow; or else, to-morrow, this head 
of yours shall be off." Next day the bill was passed. 
.^» The inauspicious marriage with Catherine, origi- 
nally contracted against his will, but afterwards 
consummated with deliberation, the king, though she had 
given him an heiress, now endeavoured to dissolve. Those 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 109 

feelings of conscience, which once produced a hesitation, 
had been quelled ; but, at this time, it seems, after a lapse 
of nearly twenty years, they revived. There lately had 
appeared at court a young lady, named Anne Boleyn, who 
was created maid of honour to the queen. This female, 
whose grandeur and misfortunes have rendered her so cele- 
brated, was daughter of sir Thomas Boleyn, grand-daughter 
of the duke of Norfolk, and related to all the principal no- 
bility of the kingdom ; and was not less remarkable for the 
graces of her person, than the accomplishments of her mind. 
She soon became the object of his admiration ; but, find- 
ing that her virtue was unconquerable, he resolved to raise 
her to the throne ; and applied to the pope for a divorce 
from Catherine. Wearied, however, by the frequent post- 
ponements of the Roman pontiff', Henry, at length, obtain- 
ed from the English bishops a dissolution of his marriage, 
after which he espoused his favourite. 

During the various negotiations with the pope, relating 
to the divorce, Wolsey had practised his accustomed dis- 
simulation ; and the king now determined that the ruin of 
the cardinal should be as rapid as his elevation. He ac- 
cordingly removed him from the situation of chancellor; 
and in his place appointed sir Thomas More : the first 
person that was regularly qualified for that office, and who, 
besides the ornaments of literature, possessed the highest 
degree of political capacity and virtue. Wolsey was or- 
dered to depart from his palace in London : [now called 
Whitehall :] his furniture and plate were converted to the 
king's use : he was convicted in the Star Chamber, and 
abandoned to all the rigour of the parliament. It was voted, 
that he was out of the king's protection : that his lands 
and goods were forfeited ; and that his person might be 
committed to custody. He was, however, pardoned for 
the present ; and, after being compelled to move from one 
place to another, took up his residence at Cawood, in 
Yorkshire. At length, he Vv'as, by order of the king, ar- 
rested, on a charge of high treason ; and, on his way to 
London, being attacked by a severe illness, was obliged to 
stop at Leicester Abbey ; where, he shortly afterwards ex- 
pired. On his death bed, he exclaimed, " Had I but served 
God, as diligently as I have served the king, he would not 
have deserted me in my grey hairs." 

„ In the autumn of this year, the new queen had a 

daughter, called Elizabeth ; who afterwards swayed 

the sceptre with so much renown. Parliament confirmed 



110 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the ecclesiastical sentence which had annulled the former 
marriage : that with Anne was ratified : Mary, the daugh- 
ter of Catherine, was excluded from the succession : the 
crown was appointed to descend to the issue of this mar- 
riage ; and an oath enjoined to be taken in favour of the 
new order of inheritance. Fisher, bishop of Rochester, 
and sir Thomas More, were the only persons of rank who 
expressed a doubt of its legality, and were both committed 
to the Tower. 

But the persecution of these accomplished men, did not 
cease with imprisonment. Henry having now thrown off 
all dependence on the see of Rome, and resolved to'^Jpi^^h 
entirely the papal authority in England; and tl^-parii^- 
ment having conferred on him a new title, — " Suprem*^ 
head, on earth, of the Church of England," they werf, fo'r 
refusing to acknowledge this supremacy, most iiii justly, 
condemned, and taken to the block. They bptli suffered 
with unshaken fortitude ; and More preserved, to th^YGvf 
last, his accustomed cheerfulness, and even liis pleasantry. 
When he was mounting the scaffold, he said to a person 
near him, <' Friend, help me up, and, when I come down 
again, let me shift for myself." The executioner having 
asked his forgiveness, he granted his request ; but told 
him, " You will never gain credit, by beheading me, my 
neck is so short." Then, laying his head upon the block, 
he bade the executioner wait till he put aside his beard ; 
'< For," said he, " it never committed treason." 

In the year following, queen Catherine yielded to a lin- 
gering indisposition, in the fiftieth year of her age; having 
written, a little before she expired, an affectionate letter to 
the king. On the death of her rival, Anne, it is said, ex- 
pressed her satisfaction in a manner much to be condemned. 
But the time was short, during which she was allowed to 
enjoy her exultation. The affection, which had subsisted 
so warmly under difficulties, had no sooner obtained posses- 
sion of its object, than it languished from satiety. Henry's 
love was now transferred to another object — lady Jane Sey- 
mour, a maid of honour to the queen. The enemies which 
Anne had made by her attachment to the reformed religion, 
siezed every opportunity of hastening her fail ; and invent- 
ed most scandalous slanders, to inflame the jealousy of the 
king. Of tliese charges, she appears to have been entirely 
innocent; yet, she had a certain gaiety, if not levity of man- 
ner, which gave weight to the accusations. Being brought 
to trial, she was condemned to be burned or beheaded, at the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Hi 

king's pleasure. When this dreadful sentence was pro- 
nounced, she was not terrified; but, lifting up her hands to 
heaven, she exclaimed: "O, Father! O, Creator! thou who 
art the way, the truth, and the life, thou knowest that I 
have not deserved this death." She was soon beheaded ; 
and her body was negligently thrown into a common chest 
made to hold arrows, and buried in the Tower. 

The best evidence, perhaps, that can, at this time, be of- 
fered, to establish the innocence of Anne, is, that the very 
day after this bloody catastrophe, Henry was married to 
Jane Seymour. 

A parliament was then called.,. The children of the two 
former marriages were declared illegitimate; and the crown 
was settled on the king's issue by Jane, or any subsequent 
wife. The progress of the reformation continued ; being- 
favoured by. the king's disgust at the Roman pontiif, the ex- 
treme submission, to the royal will, of-the parliament and 
the ecclesiastical convocations, and the general feeling of 
the nation. The reduction of the monastic establishments 
went forward with rapidity. In a little time, were sup- 
pressed, upwards of three-thousand of these institutions; 
more frequently the encouragers of idleness than of religion. 

But, of all the instruments of superstition, none was so 
zealously destroyed, as the shrine of Thomas a Becket, 
commonly called St. Thomas of Canterbury. The devotion 
towards him had quite effaced, in that place, the adoration 
of the Deity. In a particular year, there was not offered 
at the altar of God a single penny, though at Becket's there 
was given above nine-hundred pounds. 

It is evident, how obnoxious to Henry a saint of this re- 
putation must have been ; and how contrary to all his plans 
for degrading the authority of the court of Rome. He not 
only pillaged his rich shrine, but cited the saint himself 
to appear in court, condemned him as a traitor, ordered his 
name to be erased from the calendar, his bones to be burn- 
ed, and his ashes to be thrown into the air. 

An event now occurred, which Flenry had long 

and ardently desired — -the birth of a son ; who was 

called Edward, and created prince of Vv^ales. Yet, this 

happiness was not without alloy ; for, in two days afterwards, 

he lost his queen. 

The business of dictating to the nation in matters of re- 
ligion, was unceasing. What the king thought fit to or- 
der, the parliament was always ready to support ; not only 
in spiritual, but in temporal, concerns : so that, it may be 



112 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

justly said, that the power of Henry, through his entire 
reign, was absolute and undisputed. On the one hand, 
anxious to restrain the pope ; on the other, to oppose his 
own opinions to the bold doctrines of the reformers; every 
day was pregnant with a royal mandate, and that mandate 
was most frequently in opposition to the dogmas of the 
preceding. Adherence to the old, or accordance with the 
new tenets, was equally fatal, because both were at variance 
with the king's : and those who preferred a glorious death 
to a disgraceful denial of their faith, were soon surrounded 
by consuming flames. A new law was often made, before 
the old, of a contrary tenor, was repealed. Both prctest- 
ants and catholics were subject to the penalties of his vari- 
ous statutes ; and it was not uncommon to see two persons, 
burning in the same fire, for entertaining opinions that were 
directly opposite. 
. „ Henry, however, was not so entirely engaged by 

the controversies of religion, as to prevent his look- 
ing out for another queen. By the advice of Cronuvell, 
the primate, a marriage was concluded with Anne of Cleves, 
a princess of Germany. On her way to London, the king, 
impatient to ascertain the correctness of the pictures of his 
new bride, went privately to Rochester, and saw her. He 
found her as large, indeed, and as tall as he could wish ; but 
utterly devoid both of grace and beauty. The matter was 
still worse, when he found that she could speak no language 
except Dutch ; of which he was entirely ignorant. He 
would have immediately sent her back, only that political 
motives restrained him : but a divorce was soon obtained ; 
to which the queen contentedly submitted. 

To this measure, he had been impelled, by two most pow- 
erful passions — aversion to one object, and inclination to- 
wards another. He had fixed his eyes on lady Catherine 
Howard, niece to the duke of Norfolk. Catherine and the 
duke, being violently inimical to Cromwell, because he fa- 
voured the protestant opinions, to which they were as strenu- 
ously opposed, urged a prosecution against that minister, 
on a charge of heresy and treason : and he fell an innocent 
victim to their malice. Ten days, only, elapsed, between 
the divorce from Anne, and the nuptials with lady Cathe- 
rine ; and only a few months had passed, when this new 
queen, destitute of every virtue, both now, and before her 
marriage, was taken to the scaffold. 

Though Henry had been already deprived of five wives ; 
by divorce, by the hand of nature, and by the executioner; 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 115 

yet, in about a year and a half from this, he espoused his 
sixth wife, Catherine Par, widow of Lord Latimer. She 
was a virtuous woman, but was nearly losing her head, by 
her attachment to the reformation. 

Henry was now at war with both Scotland and 
* France. He sent some troops to invade the former ; 
who were disembarked at Leith, and then marched to Ed- 
inburgh ; which city they plundered and burned ; and he 
himself, with a large army, passed over into France : but, 
being deserted by his ally, the emperor, his operations were 
not productive of any material success ; and a peace, in 
which Scotland w^as included, ended the campaign. 

The hatred felt by the king, for some time past, towards 
the family of Howard, from the imputations against Anne 
Boleyn, and the bad conduct of Catherine, (both related to 
the duke of Norfolk) was now inflamed by a swelling in his 
limbs, as well as the declining of his health in general. The 
duke and his son, the earl of Surry, were brought to trial ; 
and, upon charges which could not be substantiated, were 
found guilty. The earl was beheaded — the sudden death 
of the king prevented Norfolk from experiencing a similar 
fate. 

He had retired to his seat at Croydon, in Surry ; w^here 
he expired in the thirty-eighth year of his reign, and sixty- 
sixth of his age. About a month before, he had made his 
will : in which, the previous destination of the parliament 
was confirmed, by leaving the crown, first to Edward, then, 
to Mary, and next, to Elizabeth. 

Durine: this reign, a great variety of laws were enact- 
ed ; some beneficial, others injurious, to the community. 
Amongst the former, was one for depriving criminals of 
the privilege of sanctuary, when guilty of enormous of- 
fences : amongst the latter, were many for fixing the prices 
of labour and provisions, and an act for regulating the in- 
terest on money. 

Until nearly the end of this reign, neither garden vege- 
tables, nor small fruits, of any kind, were cultivated in Eng- 
land ; having, previously, been imported from Holland. 
When queen Catherine w^anted a sallad, she was obliged to 
send a messenger to that country. 

Although there was now used in the army a sort of 
musket with a matchlock, called a caliver or harquebuse, 
the bow, which had been brought over by the Normans, 
was still a favourite and powerful weapon in the hands of 
the English soldier. 



iU HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

The casting of iron was introduced; cannon-balls of thib. 
metal were used in the place of stone ; and a law was made 
concerning bankrupts. 

Literature was patronized by the king and cardinal Wol- 
sey. It was the latter who founded in Oxford the first chair 
for teaching Greek ; which novelty rent that university 
into most violent factions. The students divided them- 
selves into two parties — Greeks and Trojans ; and some- 
times fought with as great animosity as was displayed by 
those hostile nations, in their celebrated encounters. The 
institution at Oxford having excited the emulation of Cam- 
bridge, the rivalship was of important benctit, in correcting 
the pronunciation. Dramatic poetry was cultivated by Hay- 
wood; and Lela.nd was an assiduous recorder of antiquities. 

EDWARD THE SIXTH. 

1547 — 1553. 

For the government of the kingdom, during the minority 
of his son, who now ascended the throne in his tenth year, 
the late king appointed sixteen executors and twelve coun- 
sellors ; amongst whom, were, Cranmer, archbishop of Can- 
terbury ; Seymour, earl of Hertford, maternal uncle to the 
king ; lord Seymour, brother to the earl ; and sir Edward 
Montague, chief justice of the common pleas. Hertford, 
who was chosen protector, and created duke of Somerset, 
had long been regarded as a secret partizan of the reform- 
ers; and being now freed from restraint, he used every ex- 
ertion to repress the old religion, and give encouragement 
to the nev^^ He took care, that those intrusted with the 
education of the king, should be of his own creed ; by which 
means, the protcstant opinions, of young Edward, already 
inculcated, were confirmed. Cranmer, thcnigh more mod- 
erate in his actions than the protector, was a sincere pro- 
moter of the reformation; and to him, was opposed, Gardi- 
ner, bishop of Winchester. At length, however, the prin- 
cipal ceremonies of the Roman Catholics were abolished ; 
and a form of worship, very nearly resembling that of the 
present Church of England, and the protestant episcopal 
church of tlie United States, was established throughout 
the kingdom. But that scope which the reformers had 
given to their own judgment, in disputing the principles of 
the ancient religion, was not allowed to others ; not only 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 115 

the practice, but the very doctrine, of toleration, teing 
then, to every sect, unknown. 

Hostility with both Scotland and France was now so 
much a matter of course, that, on the commencement of a 
reign, we do not more regularly look for the account of a 
coronation, than a war. In compliance with the late king's 
desire, the protector demanded, that Mary Stuart, the young 
queen of Scots, whose mother was sister to Henry, should 
be married to the king of England : Arran, her guardian, 
sls resolutely opposed the union : Somerset invaded her 
territory ; and in a great engagement, called the battle of 
Pinkey, lord Arran was defeated, with the loss of ten-thou- 
sand men. As a last resource, Mary was sent over to 
France ; where she was soon after contracted to the dauphin. 

The victory at Pinkey was ascribed chiefly to the cour- 
age and ability of Warwick ; a man alike conspicuous for 
his talents and his contempt of justice. Having by his in- 
trigues induced the protector to exercise the royal authori» 
xy against lord Seymour, this nobleman was, in consequence, 
tried, found guilty, and executed. Although Seymour was 
not entirely innocent of the charges of sedition, yet he was 
obnoxious to the earl of Warwick more as a rival, than as 
a disturber of tranquillity. 

Somerset himself v/as next removed. Having grown 
extremely unpopular, by the part which he had taken in 
his brother's death, and his having pulled down several 
churches, to make room, or furnish materials for a palace 
in the Strand, Warwick was enabled to deprive him of his 
office, and to gain an entire ascendency in the government. 
He also obtained the titles and estates of the house of Per- 
cy ; as sir Thomas, the hc-ir of that family, had been attaint- 
ed for rebellion. Thus, by the greatness of his acquisitions, 
the ruin, which he had been so earnestly preparing for the 
duke of Somerset, could now, without danger, be completed. 
The duke was brought to trial, upon a variety of charges. 
None, however, of a treasonable nature, could be proved ; 
but, by his own confession, of having entertained a design 
against the lives of Warwick (lately created duke of North- 
umberland) and others, to which he had been impelled by 
repeated insults, he was convicted, and, accordingly, be- 
headed. 

The princess Mary, sister of Henry the eighth, had, on 
the decease of her husband, the king of France, espoused 
Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. From them, was de- 
scended lady Jane Gray *, who, considering the opposite de- 
L 



U6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

crees which affected the titles of Henry's two daughters, 
Mary and Elizabeth, had, certainly, fair pretensions to the 
crown. To that lady, Northumberland married his fourth 
son, lord Guildford Dudley ; and then, by his artifices, so 
influenced the king, whose youth and declining health made 
him susceptible of every impression, that, by the royal let- 
ters patent, he set aside his sisters, and vested the succes- 
sion in lady Jane. 

The symptoms of Edward's complaint became every day 
more alarming : his physicians were removed ; in their 
place, was substituted a feeble and ignorant woman ; and 
in a short time the young prince yielded to the effects of the 
disorder or the medicines. He expired at Greenwich, in the 
sixteenth year of his age and the seventh of his reign; high- 
ly respected for his mildness of disposition, his love of equity, 
and application to business and literature. 

The prospect of opening a communication with China, 
by a north-east passage, induced the English, at this peri- 
od, to send out three vessels, under the command of sir 
Hugh Willoughby ; who steered directly along the coast 
of Norway, and doubled the North Cape. But, having 
been separated in a storm, Willoughby, with two of the 
vessels, took refuge in a desert part of Russian Lapland ; 
where he, and all his companions, were frozen to death. 
Chancelour, the captain of the other, having entered the 
White Sea, wintered at Archangel ; and, although no for- 
eign vessels had before visited that part of the globe, they 
were received there with the greatest hospitality. Being 
informed that it was part of a vast empire subject to the 
Czar of Muscovy, who resided in a great city twelve-hun- 
dred miles from Archangel, he instantly set out for the 
capital ; which was Moscow. Here, he was treated with 
respect : and, thenceforward, an intercourse continued be- 
tween England and Russia. 

MARY. 

1553 — 1558. 

The late attempt to violate the order of succession, by 
having the crown assigned to Jane, so fully displayed the 
ambition and injustice of Northumberland, that, when the 
people reflected on the long train of fraud and cruelty, by 
which that project had been conducted, they were moved by 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 117 

indignation to exert themselves in opposition to such crimi- 
nal enterprises. 

Lady Jane is alike the object of our pity and admiration. 
Amiable, engaging, accomplished, she was worthy of the 
most exalted throne ; as well by her acquirements, as by her 
reluctant acceptance of what she supposed to be another's 
right. 

Orders were given by the council to proclaim Jane 
throughout the kingdom ; but they were observed only near 
the court. No applause ensued : on account of the hatred, 
of all parties, towards Northumberland, they heard the pro- 
clamation with silence and concern, or with expressions of 
contempt. At this time, Mary was in Suffolk. There, 
having declared, that she would not alter the religious 
establishments of Edward, the nobility and gentry flocked 
with their adherents to her standard. The duke of North- 
umberland being deserted by the council and the army, 
lady Jane, after wearing the crown but ten days, returned 
to the more pleasing enjoyment of a private life. North- 
umberland was arrested by the earl of Arundel, and suffer- 
ed the punishment which he so justly merited. Sentence of 
death was pronounced also against lady Jane Gray, and her 
husband, lord Guildford Dudley ; but, without any intention, 
then, of putting it in execution. Indeed, their innocence 
and youth, neither having reached seventeen years, pleaded 
amply in their favour. 

But the joy arising from the accession of the lawful heir, 
was succeeded by disgust. The queen soon displayed that: 
malignity of disposition, vvhich, throughout her reign, was 
so destructively exercised on her unhappy subjects. Bigo- 
try, cruelty, tyranny, and revenge, were the strongest pas- 
sions of her mind : and these were well depicted in the for- 
bidding cast of her exterior. From her earliest years, she 
had imbibed an aversion to the reformed religion ; and now, 
contrary to her solemn pledges, she reinstated in their sees 
all the most violent of her own party, and established 
throughout the kingdom the Roman Catholic form of wor- 
ship. The prisons were crowded with the protestants : the 
flames burned with unexampled fierceness; and all who re- 
fused to subscribe to the religion of the queen, were sacri- 
ficed by the ferocity of persecution. Amongst those dis- 
tinguished for intolerance, may be mentioned, Gardiner, 
bishop of Winchester, and Bonner, bishop of London. The 
prelates who suffered martyrdom, were Cranmer, Ridley, 
Latimer, Hooper, and Ferrar. 



18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

. ^ . A marriage was this year solemnized between 

Mary and Philip the second of Spain, son of Charles 
the fifth. Her husband was little calculated to gain the 
affections of the nation; being 'as gloomy and tyrannical as 
the queen herself; and public feeling was soon displayed 
by an insurrection. This rebellion was, however, after 
much bloodshed, suppressed. But the vengeance of the 
queen reached even to the innocent. Lady Jane Gray and 
lord Guildford Dudley suffered for the actions of their 
friends. Notice was given this amiable and interesting- 
couple to prepare for death ; and they were soon relieved 
from their anxiety. On the scaffold, Lady Jane said, that 
her offence was not her laying her hands upon the crown, 
but her not rejecting it with sufficient constancy; and that 
she willingly received death, as the only satisfaction she 
could make to her injured country. 

Soon afterwards, the duke of Suffolk, father of Lady 
Jane, was taken to the block ; where, he would have met 
with more compassion, had not his temerity caused his 
daughter's untimely end. 

England was now at war with France; and, by 
the negligence of government, Calais, the only place 
remaining to the British, on the continent, was taken by 
the duke of Guise ; after being in theii' possession above 
two-hundred years. This event sunk deep into the mind 
of Mary. She had long been in a delicate state of health : 
a variety of reflections now tormented her, and threw her 
into a fever ; of v/hich she died, in the sixth year of her 
reign, and the forty-third of her age. Cardinal Pole, de- 
scended from the royal family, who had, for a considerable 
time, laboured under bodily afflictions, expired on the same 
day. 

At this time, the dwellings of people, even of considera- 
ble estate, were very meanly constructed. They were of 
plank, badly put together, and chimneys were almost un- 
known in England. The fire was kindled by the wall, and 
the smoke found its way through the roof, door, or windows. 
The furniture was appropriate. The people slept on straw 
pallets, having a log under their heads for a pillow ; and 
almost every domestic utensil was of wood. Dinner and 
supper were taken about an hour earlier than at present : 
which were their only meals ; breakfast not being then in 
use. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 119 

ELIZABETH, 

1558—1603. 

This princess, the daughter of Henry the eighth and 
Anne Boleyn, ascended the throne in her twenty-sixth year. 
Her principal ministers were, sir William Cecil, (afterwards 
lord Burleigh,) and sir Francis Walsingham ; men of highly 
eminent abilities. 

Although it was generally believed that she had em- 
braced a religion opposite to that which now prevailed in 
England, yet, so much were men displeased with the con- 
duct of the late queen, that, overlooking their theological 
disputes, they expressed unfeigned joy at the coronation of 
Elizabeth. When she was conducted through London, 
amidst the acclamations of the people, a boy, who person- 
ated Truth, descended from one of the triumphal arches, 
and presented her with a copy of the Bible. She received 
it with the most gracious deportment, placed it next her 
bosom, and declared, that amidst all the costly testimonies 
of their attachment which the citizens had on that day given 
her, this present was by far the most acceptable. In this 
manner, did the queen gain the affections of her subjects. 
Gracious and affable in public, she joined in their amuse- 
ments, without departing from her dignity ; and, notwith- 
standing the high and unbending tenor of her government, 
she acquired a popularity, greater than was ever attained 
by any other sovereign of England. 

Though the queen, previous to her coronation, had made 
several alterations in the existing ceremonies of the church, 
yet she delayed the entire change until the meeting of par- 
liament. Immediately on its assembling, the statutes of 
Edward the sixth with regard to religion were confirmed ; 
many fresh innovations were made, and the Protestant re- 
ligion was again established throughout the entire kingdom. 
It was not thought sufficient to prohibit, by severe penalties, 
the celebration of the Mass: the Roman Catholics, and all 
other sects, without distinction, v/ere even compelled to par- 
take in the Liturgy of the court — Such measures are not 
only unjust but ineffective. We cannot refrain from con- 
demning the slightest exercise of inquisitorial power. Uni- 
formity of opinion can never be produced by violence. 

This parliament was completely obsequious to the royal 
will ; all the members having been nominated by the court. 
Indeed, during her whole reign, Elizabeth swayed the 
L 2 



120 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

sceptre with an authority unrestrained by the least regara 
to the constitution; and, to this domineering spirit both 
lords and commons submitted, with a degree of tamcness 
and servility, which stamps their memories with indelible 
disgrace. They might indeed give directions for the due 
tanning of leather, or the milling of cloth ; the assessment of 
taxes, the mending of decayed bridges, or the whipping of 
beggars; any thing further, she thought, was above their 
understanding. Three representatives, however, Carleton, 
Yelverton, and Peter Wentworth, resolutely supported par- 
liamentary independence. 

We come now to the most interesting, though, certainly, 
the most disagreeable, part of the history, of this celebrated 
reign. 

The lineal heir to the crown, after Elizabeth, was Mary, 
queen of Scots, (descended from Margaret, sister of Henry 
the eighth, and wife of James the fourth of Scotland,) v/ho 
still resided abroad, and novv', as wife of Francis the second, 
enjoyed also the title of queen of France. As both, by di- 
rection of the late French king, had assumed not only the 
arms, but the royal titles, of England, Elizabeth persever- 
ed in opposing the wishes of the nation, that Mary should 
be acknowledged her successor; nor could she, until her 
latest breath, be induced to concur in the appointment even 
of another. Always fearful of an heir apparent, she amus- 
ed the parliament by most artful evasions; and though she 
had frequently declared her resolutions to remain unmar- 
ried, she listened to the addresses of her numerous lovers ; 
but, with the most refined coquetry, held her parliament 
and her lovers equally in suspense: the one by the hopes 
of an heir; the other by the expectation of a bride. 

The death of the French monarch naturally in- 
* duced Mary to return to Scotland; and no v/oman, 
perhaps, ever experienced so great a change, in ponit of 
social enjoyment. To the gay and easy manners of the 
French, were now opposed the rough familiarities of the 
Scotch: to the splendid exterior of the Roman Catholic 
•worship, the total abolition of the ancient rites. Every 
insult, that the violence of fanaticism could produce, was 
given to her, without reserve; to which harsh and prepos- 
terous treatment, may, in part, be ascribed, those errors of 
her subsequent life, so much at variance with the tenor of 
her early conduct. For, hitherto, her deportment had been 
amiable. — She had now reached her nineteenth year: and 
the bloom of youth, and beauty of her person, were height- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 121 

ened by the politeness of her manners, and the elegance of 
her acquirements. Her age, her rank, her education, in- 
vited her to liberty and cheerfulness ; but, by the absurd 
severity of the reformers, she was debarred from every 
amusement; and her uncles, with the other French no- 
bility, were driven to their own country, by disgust. 

Notwithstanding the umbrage which Elizabeth had con- 
ceived, arising from Mary's having openly usurped the 
English dignities, and the resentment which the latter, on 
her side, might justly feel against Elizabeth, on account of 
the active part she had taken to encourage the Scotch in 
opposition to her rival, a cordial friendship seemed to be 
cemented between them : they wrote, every week, amicable 
letters to each other; and adopted the style and sentiments 
of sisters. 

As Mary's uncle, the duke of Guise, was endeavour- 
ing to form a matrimonial alliance with her and the Arch- 
duke Charles, Elizabeth, to prevent it, not only gave this 
prince some hopes of obtaining herself, but intimated to 
Mary, that if she would espouse an English nobleman, her 
title to the crown of England should be examined. The 
person whom she named, was the earl of Leicester. This 
nobleman, a son of the late duke of Northumberland, had 
long been the favourite of Elizabeth, and, by his handsome 
person and insinuating address, had so deceived her, that 
she discovered not the odious vices of his disposition. Ma- 
ry listened to the proposal : but Leicester was too great a 
favourite to be parted with ; and Elizabeth soon withdrew 
the bait. By this duplicity of conduct, joined to some in- 
dications of insolent superiority, the correspondence of the 
two queens was for some time interrupted ; but, to make 
up the breach, Mary despatched to London sir James Mel- 
ville ; a courtier of pleasing address and conversation. 
Melville insinuated himself completely into the confidence 
of Elizabeth, and made her discover the recesses of her 
heart, full of those levities, and ideas of rivalship, which 
possess the youngest and most frivolous of her sex. Some- 
times, she was dressed in the English costume — some- 
times, in the French — at another time, in the Italian ; and 
she asked him which of these became her most. He an- 
swered, the Italian : a reply which he knew would be agree- 
able; because that mode showed to advantage her flowing 
locks; which, he remarked, though they were more red 
than yellow, she fancied were the handsomest in the world. 
She asked, whether his queen, or she, had the finest hair. 



«22 HiSTORY OF ENGLAND. 

She even inquired which had the fairest person— a very 
delicate question ; which he prudently eluded, by saying, 
that her majesty was the fairest person in England, and his 
mistress, in Scotland. From the whole of her behaviour, 
Melville concluded, that his queen had no reason ever to 
expect any cordial friendship from Elizabeth ; and that all 
her professions were full of falsehood and dissimulation. 

At length, Mary was married to lord Darnley, son to 
the earl of Lenox, of the house of Stuart, and, after her, 
heir to the crown of England. Elizabeth was so enraged 
at this, that she threw the countess of Lenox and her sec- 
ond son into the Tower, and confiscated the earl's English 
estate; though without being able to assign one single rea- 
son for her displeasure. 

But Mary had overlooked the qualities of her husband's 
mind : insolent, credulous, and easily governed by flatter- 
ers, all domestic enjoyments were poisoned by those pro- 
pensities, and the whole nation soon became a scene of fac- 
tion and confusion. Of these, Elizabeth was always sure 
to take advantage. There was, at this time, in the Scottish 
court, one David Rizzio, an Italian musician, who enjoy- 
ed, with Mary, an extraordinary degree of confidence, and 
acted as secretary for French despatches. By these fa- 
vours, and his joining the Roman Catholic party, he be- 
came so obnoxious, that a conspiracy was formed against 
him. Lord Ruthven, George Douglas, Darnley, and some 
others, entered the room where Mary, with the 
* countess of Argyle, and Rizzio, was at supper ; and, 
rushing upon the favourite, they despatched him with their 
daggers. 

Henceforth, Mary conceived an incurable antipathy to- 
wards Darnley. Now, commenced, the decline of all her 
grandeur, and a total contempt of virtue, or even of char- 
acter. She attached herself to lord Bothwell : the murder 
of her husband was soon effected; and, of their being the 
perpetrators of that horrid deed, no reasonable doubt re- 
mains ! Scarcely three months had passed, before she was 
married to this man; though he then had a wife alive. The 
earl of Argyle, lord Hume, and many more, flew to arms. 
Bothwell escaped to Denmark; Mary was dethroned and 
imprisoned, and her infant son, by Darnley, was proclaimed 
king, under the title of James the sixth. 

The miserable queen escaped into England. Here, be- 
itig again imprisoned, she desired to exonerate herself, by 
trial, from the charge of her husband's murder : and, in 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 123 

consequence, many meetings of the Scotch and English 
commissioners took place; but without a decision. In the 
mean time, the duke of Norfolk, contrary to the wishes of 
Elizabeth, having made Mary a tender of his hand, she 
promised to espouse him, as soon as she could be legally 
divorced from Bothwell. Though Norfolk was a protest- 
ant, he was highly respected amongst the great catholic no- 
bility; by whose influence, and that of the king of Spain, 
he joined Mary in a plan of insurrection, invasion, and sub- 
version of the government. This conspiracy, however, be- 
ing detected, the duke was condemned and executed. The 
unhappy queen, during a long series of years, was remov- 
ed from prison to prison ; still, naturally, forming plans for 
her liberation. At length, she was charged with associat- 
ing in a conspiracy, which aimed even at the life of Eliza- 
beth, and was conveyed to Fotheringay-castle, in North- 
amptonshire; which, it was determined, should be the last 
stage of her earthly sufferings. Here, she was brought to 
trial and condemned. As soon as her son, the king of Scot- 
land, heard of this event, he sent sir William Keith with a 
letter to Elizabeth ; in which, he remonstrated, in severe 
terms, against the indignity and cruelty of the procedure. 
But this exercise of filial duty had no effect. After delays, 
produced rather by dissimulation than humanity, she sign- 

^ « ed the warrant for her execution; and Mary's head 
was soon severed from her body. Thus, perished, 
this unfortunate female, in the forty-fifth year of her age, 
and nineteenth of her captivity in England. 

During these transactions, Elizabeth was engaged in 
succouring the protestants in France and the Low Coun- 
tries. In the latter, the infamous Philip of Spain, aided by 
the equally atrocious duke of Alva, had driven the follow- 
ers of Luther to so great a pitch of desperation, that they 
flew to arms ; and, in a few days, the provinces of Holland 
and Zealand shook off his authority. William, prince of 
Orange, by uniting the revolted districts into a lea^^ue, laid 
the foundation of the celebrated Dutch Commonwealth ; 
since erected into a monarchy, called the kingdom of the 
Netherlands. 

Francis Drake, a bold and celebrated seaman, fitted out, 
at his own expense, five vessels, with Avhich he passed 
through the Strait of Magellan, into the Pacific Ocean: 
then, having taken many rich prizes from the Spaniards, 
he set sail for the East Indies, and returned by the Cape of 
Good Hope, after an absence of more than three years. He 



124 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

was the first Englishman that sailed round the globe, and 
the first commander, of any nation; (Magellan, whose ship 
had before performed the same voyage, having died in the 
passage;) for which memorable achievement, he was 
knighted by the queen. 

In retaliation for Elizabeth's enmity, Philip sent a small 
body of men into Ireland. But the earl of Ormond besieg- 
ed them in Kerry, where they had erected a fort, and made 
them all prisoners. 

Accounts were now received from all quarters, 
' of an immense armament nearly completed by the 
Spaniards; whose monarch, founding his pretensions to the 
English crown, upon his descent from a female branch of 
the house of Lancaster, and the will of his late consort, 
Mary, meditated the invasion and entire conquest of Eng- 
land. The chief support of the kingdom seemed to consist 
in the vigour and prudence of the queen ; who, undismayed 
by the present dangers, issued all her orders with tran- 
quillity. The more to excite the martial ardour of the na- 
tion, she appeared, on horseback, in the camp at Tilbury ; 
and, riding along the lines, cheered the soldiers by her 
eloquence, and the animation of her countenance. People 
of every class, and of every religion, forgot their animosi* 
ties, and strove only for the safety of their country. The 
royal navy of England amounted only to twenty-eight sail, 
of but small size : all the sailors in the kingdom, to four- 
teen-thousand ; however, the seaports freely contributed 
to increase the fleet, and what was v/anting in the number, 
was supplied by the bravery and experience, of the men. 
Lord Howard of Effingham, a man of courage and capacity, 
was admiral ; and, under him, were, Drake, Hawkins, and 
Frobisher; the most renowned seamen in the world. The 
admiral had scarcely got out of Plymouth, when he saw the 
Spanish Armada (by which name this famous armament 
is known) coming full sail towards him, disposed in the 
form of a crescent, and displaying a front of no less than 
seven miles. It consisted of one-hundred-and-thirty ves- 
sels, of larger size than were ever before used in Europe, 
and had on board thirty-thousand men. — As the armada 
advances up the Channel, Effingham hangs upon its rear, 
occasionally giving battle ; when, each trial abates the con- 
fidence of the Spaniards, and adds courage to the English. 
The fire of the enemy passes over the heads of their as- 
sailants, whilst almost every English shot is the messenger 
of death. — Effingham now sends fire-ships amongst the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 125 

Spaniards : — nothing is to be seen but terror and confu- 
sion : — they take to flight — the English seize the advan- 
tage and pursue ; but want of ammunition constrains them 
to desist. 

Their disasters were not yet completed. A violent tem- 
pest overtook them, driving them either upon the coast of 
Ireland, or on the Western isles of Scotland ; where, they 
were so miserably wrecked or shattered, that not half of the 
boasted armament returned to Spain. 

From the noble breed of horses then driven on these 
places, are descended the beautiful little race of Scotch 
ponies ; which, without the size, retain all the spirit, and all 
the symmetry, of their progenitors. 

The affairs of Ireland next demand attention. Al- 
though the claim of England to that country had 
now existed above four centuries, her authority was, hither- 
to, little more than nominal. The Irish princes and nobles, 
divided amongst themselves, readily paid exterior marks of 
obeisance to a power which they wxre not able wholly to 
resist ; but, as no permanent force was ever assigned for 
the purpose of retaining them in subjection, they still re- 
lapsed into their former state of independence. The laws 
enacted for the government of this unhappy country, were 
ungenerous and absurd. When every other Christian na- 
tion was cultivating the sciences, and the refinements of 
society, Ireland, lying in a temperate climate, enjoying a 
fertile soil, with many other natural advantages, was in- 
habited by a people v/hose situation was deplorable. To 
suppress the extensive insurrections of the O'Neales, (the 
earls of Desmond and Thomond,) the queen sent over a 
powerful army, under the command of Devereux, earl of 
Essex ; whom she appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland. 
This young nobleman had distinguished himself in many 
naval and military enterprises ; and, as the earl of Leices- 
ter was now dead, Essex occupied his place in the queen's 
affections. But, in Ireland, he was entirely unsuccessful. 
He was recalled — disgraced— received again into favour — 
again dismissed ; and being driven, at last, almost to fren- 
zy, by the fluctuation of his hopes and disappointments, he 
endeavoured to overturn the government. For this, he was 
condemned, and taken to the scaffold ; where he confessed 
the justice of his sentence. 

. From the death of Essex, the health of the queen 

visibly declined. She fell into a profound melancho- 
ly, which all the glories of her administration were unable 



126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

to alleviate ; and expired in the seventieth year of her age. 
and the forty-fifth of her reign ; having expressed a desire 
that the king of Scotland should succeed her. 

Few sovereigns have displayed abilities equal to Eliza- 
beth's ; and, certainly, such talents were never shown by 
any other female, in any age, or in any nation. She was a 
woman of considerable accomplishments : Greek and La- 
tin were familiar to her ; but she was devoid of that soft- 
ness of disposition, without which, her sex are never amia- 
ble. Overbearing in the council, her ministers feared her 
as a tiger. Imperious in the palace, her servants dreaded 
her approach. 

Elizabeth founded Trinity College in Dublin ; ordered 
the printing of the " English Mercury," which was the 
earliest newspaper in the kingdom ; established posts for 
the regular transmission of letters ; directed the cultivation 
of hemp and flax, and introduced into England the manu- 
facture of gunpowder and of brass-cannon. She also grant- 
ed a charter to the East India Company ; the first voyage 
to the Indian seas having been effected in her reign : des- 
patched a squadron for the purpose of finding a passage to 
Hindostan, by the north-west, under the command of 
Frobisher ; and another, intrusted to the skill of Davis ; 
who were unsuccessful, but respectively, discovered the 
straits that bear their names : and she obtained from the 
czar of Muscovy a privilege of vending the manufactures 
of England through his whole dominions, free from duty, as 
well as of carrying them to Persia and Media, by the Cas- 
pian sea ; the merchants of other nations not being allow- 
ed to trade beyond Moscow. Copper-mines were opened, 
and mills erected for slitting iron bars. The printing of 
linen commenced, and the manufacture of paper ; and com- 
merce was rendered less hazardous to individuals, by in- 
surance on ships at sea. The nobility began to build their 
houses of brick and stone, with glass windows : coaches 
were introduced, pocket-watches brought over from Ger- 
many ; and the queen, having received a present of a pair 
of silk knit-stockings, discontinued the previously universal 
fashion of hose, or stockings made of cloth. Sir Thomas 
Gresham, a merchant, erected in London, at his own ex- 
pense, a building, which, in presence of the queen, was call- 
ed the Royal Exchange ; and the Bodleian Library, at Ox- 
ford, was, with equal liberality, founded and largely en- 
dowed by sir Thomas Bodley. 

Though the population of England did not then exceed 



IIISTOUY OF ENGLAND. nr 

four millions, the rage of colonization was very great. Sir 
Walter Raleigh made several unsuccessful attempts to 
tjstablish a colony on the island of Roanoke, off the coast 
now called North Carolina ; then called Virginia : a name 
given by Elizabeth to all the English discoveries in Amer» 
jca during her reign ; as a memorial that they were made 
nnder a virgin queen. Tobacco was brought into England 
from those parts ; and was rendered fashionable by Ra- 
leigh ; and (in 1565) the potato, called battata by the In- 
dians, was brought into Ireland from Mexico, by sir John 
Hawkins; being the first of that valuable article of food 
introduced into Europe. 

Elizabeth had the honour of patronizing Spenser and 
Shakespeare, Sackville and sir Philip Sidney. Spenser is 
author of that admired poem, the Fairy Queen ; written in 
a provincial dialect ; not in the national language of his 
time. The numerous productions of Shakespeare, show, 
that he possessed dramatic talents, and a knowledge of 
human nature, greater than were ever displayed by any 
other man, at any period of the world. Holinshed was 
distinguished for his Chronicles ; and Briggs, for his in- 
genious researches in mathematics. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

GREAT BRITAIN. 

Union of the Rn^li^h and Scotch Crowns 

JAMES THE FIRST, 

1603—1625. 

THE sceptre now passed from the house of Tudor to 
that of Stuart ; and, henceforward, the crowns of England 
and Scotland were united. 

James the first of England, and sixth of Scotland, was son 
of the unfortunate Mary, and Henry Stuart, lord Darnley ; 
and grandson of Margaret, daughter of Henry the seventh. 
He had been baptized a Roman Catholic, but was after- 
wards educated in the protestant religion j the famous his- 
torian, Buchanan, being his tutor. 
M 



128 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

James was at this time in his thirty-eighth year ; was a 
man of considerable learning, of a social disposition, but 
averse to the bustle of the world, and to the noisy demon- 
strations of joy, which the people, crowding around him, 
so willingly displayed. He was not, however, insensible to 
this great overflow of affection. He seems to have been in 
haste to make them some return. Hence, that profusion 
of favours, in the beginning of his reign. In six weeks 
after his entrance into England, he conferred knighthood on 
above two-hundred persons ; and titles of all kinds became 
so common, that they were no longer considered as marks 
of distinction. From an excusable weakness, he was par- 
tial to men of his own country ; yet, he retained, in all the 
principal offices, the ministers of Elizabeth ; and sir Ro- 
bert Cecil, created by him earl of Salisbury, (son of the 
great Burleigh) was always regarded as his prime minister. 
To congratulate the king on his accession, there soon ap- 
peared at court ambassadors from almost every state in 
Europe ; amongst whom, was the accomplished marquis 
of Rosni, (afterwards duke of Sully,) the favourite min- 
ister of the celebrated Henry the fourth, of France. 

Amidst the great tranquillity, with which the nation was 
now blessed, nothing could be more surprising, than the 
discovery of a conspiracy, to place on the throne Arabella 
Stuart, a near relation of the king. Of this, there were ac- 
cused, several men of different religions : and, amongst the 
number, sir Walter Raleigh ; who was, in consequence, 
(without, however, any satisfactory proof,) condemned to 
die; but afterwards reprieved^ though not pardoned. . The 
prosecutions were conducted by sir Edward Coke; who in- 
sulted Raleigh with abuse, so extremely gross, that his con- 
duct may be deemed a reproach, not only on his own me- 
mory, but on the manners of the age. 

This year is rem.arkable for one of the most cele- 
brated events in the history of England — the Gun- 
powder Plot : a fact as certain as it appears incredible ; 
displaying, at once, the widest departure from moral vir- 
tue, and the steadiest attachment to religious prepossession. 
Catesby, a man of respectable family, and Percy, a descend- 
ant of the house of Northumberland, were the projectors 
of a scheme, for restoring the Roman Catholics to power; 
and formed the diabolical plan of blowing up the house of 
parliament with gunpowder. " We must destroy," said 
they, " the king, the royal family, the lords, the commons ; 
and bury all our enemies in one general ruin. They are 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 129 

now assembled in the first meeting of parliament ; and af- 
ford us the opportunity of glorious and useful vengeance." 
For this purpose, they engaged one Guy Fawkes, an officer 
in the Spanish service; with whose zeal and ingenuity, they 
were well acquainted. Happily, however. Providence avert- 
ed, by a discovery, this dreadful blow ; after the gunpowder 
and the matches were conveyed into a vault under the house 
of lords. Here, Fawkes being seized, he made a full con- 
fession of his own guilt, and that of his associates ; whoj 
with himself, met the reward which their crime so highly 
merited. But let us not involve the Roman Catholic body 
in this horrid plot. It would be unjust. The king was 
conscious that they were unfairly implicated; and declared, 
that, for his part, the conspiracy, however atrocious, should 
not alter, in the least, his plan of government. 

'' James frequently boasted," says Hume, " that the man- 
agement of Ireland was his masterpiece. Upon inquiry, it 
will appear, that his vanity, in this particular, was not 
without foundation. Although Elizabeth had succeeded in 
finally subjecting that country ; yet, the more difficult task 
remained — to civilize the inhabitants, and reconcile thenri 
to industry and laws. James proceeded by a steady and 
well concerted plan ; and, hi less than ten years, did more 
towards the improvement of that kingdom, than all his pre- 
decessors had accomplished, in upwards of four centuries. 
By the old Irish custom, every crime, however enormous, 
was punished, not by death, but by a pecuniary fine. Mur- 
der itself was atoned for in this manner : and each man, ac- 
cording to his rank, had a different rate or value affixed to 
him ; which, if any one was willing to pay, he might as- 
sassinate his enemy. This rate was called his eric. When 
sir William Fitzwilliams, a governor of Ireland, told Ma- 
guire, an Irish chieftain, that he intended to send a sheriff' 
into Fermanagh; which, a little before, had been made a 
county, and subjected to the English laws ; ' Your sheriff*,' 
said Maguire, ' shall be welcome to me : but, let me knowj 
before hand, his ei-ic, or the price of his head ; that, if my 
people cut it off, I may levy the money upon the county." 
As for oppression, extortion, or other trespasses, so lit- 
tle were they regarded, that no redress for such offences 
could ever be obtained. James abolished these Irish cus- 
toms, and substituted the laws of England ; and, having 
declared the natives to be free' citizens, proceeded to gov- 
ern them by a regular administration. The whole province 
of Ulster having fallen to the crown, by the attainder of the 



.30 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

rebels, a company for establishing in it new colonies -vya?* 
formed in London : tenants were sent over from England 
and Scotland : the Irish were removed from their retreats, 
and settled in the open country : husbandry and the arts 
were taught them ; and, by these means, Ulster, from be- 
ing the wildest and the most disorderly province of all Ire- 
land, soon became the most highly cultivated and the most 
civilized." 

Although we do not deny Hume our general approba- 
tion, yet we cannot accord with his manner of treating the 
affairs of Ireland. In this instance, he is extremely super- 
ficial ; indeed, more so, than the extended plan of his valu- 
able work would lead us to expect. That the Irish, even 
at the period to which he alludes, were in some degree un- 
civilized, and that their laws were neither judiciously fram- 
ed, nor properly enforced, we readily admit. But, the op- 
pressions under which they laboured from their rapacious 
masters, had assisted in prolonging this miserable condi- 
tion ; and we confidently maintain, that they were not more 
remarkable for insubordination than the Scotch ; nor many 
degrees more uncivilized than the English. To Scotland, 
Hume is certainly not partial ; but still, he has paid more 
attention to her affairs than to those of Ireland ; and had he 
gone more minutely into the latter, this " master piece'* of 
James, would not appear so equitable. Historians of great 
research, attribute the colonization of Ulster to his desire 
of extending the protestant religion; and assert, that seve- 
ral of the Irish chieftains had been attainted and deprived 
of their estates, without sufiicient evidence. 

Those who feel an interest in the concerns of Ireland, 
will be gratified by the works of Davies, Leland, O'Hal- 
loran, Ledwich, Gordon, Plowden, and Lawless ; and by a 
late work — the " Vindiciae Hibernicae" of Carey. 

James had, in common with other men, his failings and 
his follies. His puerile attachment to favourites was first 
conspicuous in the honours, and confidence, which he so 
lavishly gave to Robert Carr. Though Carr was made 
known to the king merely by accident, he was soon created 
viscount Rochester, and earl of Somerset ; was loaded with 
riches, and had, for a while, the sole direction of national 
affairs. Unworthy, from the beginning, of these distinc- 
tions, this upstart minion plunged headlong into the deepest 
crimes ; was disgraced, and dragged out a miserable life in 
obscurity and detestation. To Carr, succeeded George 
VilUers J a younger brother of a good English family j whose 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 131 

chief advantages were a handsome person, genteel air, and 
fashionable dress. First, he was made cupbearer to the 
king; then, successively, created viscount Villiers, earl, 
marquis, and duke of Buckingham, knight of the garter, 
master of the horse, chief justice in Eyre, warden of the 
cinque ports, master of the king's bench office, steward of 
Westminster, constable of Windsor, and lord high admiral 
of England ! Of every talent, requisite for a statesman, he 
was utterly devoid ; and, to indulge his pride or his inso- 
lence, he sacrificed the faith of treaties, the character of 
the nation, and the honour of his benefactor. 

Hitherto, the influence of parliament, in questions of 
great national importance, was undefined. Those invalu- 
able rights, which the people fondly supposed had been 
ascertained and secured by the great charter, were frittered 
away, by the insolence of tlie crown, the servile flattery of 
ministers, the ignorance and submission of the public guar- 
dians. But a new era now burst forth. The minds of men 
became more enlightened ; the prince was less capable of 
tyranny, though not less inclined to be a tyrant. 

In one of his speeches, he insisted, that, as it was blas- 
phemy for man to dispute what God might do, in the ful- 
ness of his omnipotence ; so, was it sedition, for subjects to 
dispute what a king might do, in the fulness of his power. 
The commons, however, assumed a degree of vigour and 
boldness: they began to call public officers to account; and 
no situation was above the reach of their investigation. The 
office of chancellor was then filled by the celebrated Francis 
Bacon, viscount St. Albans; a man universally admired for 
the greatness of his genius, and beloved for the humanity 
of his disposition. But, unfortunately, his want of econo- 
my having involved him in necessity, he had taken several 
bribes from the suitors in chancery ; which caused his im- 
peachment, and a sentence, that he should pay a fine of 
forty-thousand pounds, and be for ever incapable of holding 
any public employment. 

We have another instance of deviation from the path of 
rectitude, in sir Walter Raleigh. This great man had been 
confined in the Tower for thirteen years ; during which 
time, he had increased his literary reputation, by writing a 
history of the world. Eager, after so long an imprisonment, 
to obtain his liberty, he spread a report of a gold mine, that 
in one of his excursions he had discovered in Guiana ; to 
which country, he perhaps imagined that England had a 
claim, from his having set up a mark upon the coast. The 
M 2 



>32 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

king gave him liberty to go in search of this reported miae- 
but reserved the capital sentence, as a check upon his beha- 
viour. Raleigh, accordingly, htted out a fleet; with which 
he set sail to South America. But the mine from which 
he endeavoured to draw his riches, was the Spanish town 
of St. Thomas; which he seized, and afterwards set on fire. 
For this, he was, on his return, executed upon his 
* former sentence. The crown lawyers justified them- 
selves, by a maxim, that no man could be tried on a fresh 
indictment, whilst lying under a previous sentence of death. 
This is a nice point ; however, their conduct bears a strong 
tincture of barbarism and injustice. 

In this spring, the king was seized with a tertiaa 
^' ague; which terminated his life, in the fifty -ninth 
year of his age, and the twenty-third of his reign over Eng- 
land. He was possessed of considerable virtues ; but scarce- 
ly any of these were pure, or free from the contagion of the 
neighbouring vices. His generosity bordered on profusion, 
his learning on pedantry, his pacific disposition on pusil- 
lanimity, his wisdom on cunning, his friendship on light 
fancy and boyish fondness. 

He left only one son, Charles ; and one daughter, Eliza- 
beth, married to the Elector Palatine. 

It was in this reign, and through the desire and patron- 
age of James, that the last authorized English translation 
of the Bible, was begun and finished. 

But, notwithstanding this monarch's attention to religion, 
his mind was clouded with the childish superstition of his 
native country. In the first year of his reign in England, it 
v/as enacted, that all persons invoking any evil spirit, cov- 
enanting with, entertaining, employing, feeding, or reward- 
ing it, or taking up dead bodies from the grave, to be used 
in any witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or enchantment ; or kill- 
ing or otherwise hurting any one by such infernal arts, 
should be guilty of felony without benefit of clergy, and 
suffer death.* This law continued in force till lately ; to 
the terror of all ancient females in the kingdom ; many of 
whom were thereby sacrificed, to the prejudice of their 
neighbours, or their own illusions. 

• The term " benefit of clergy," signifies, in law, a privilege an- 
ciently granted to all clergymen, by whicb liiey were exempted from 
capital punishment, for a first offence. It was afterwards allowed to 
any person that could read ; and is now, in many eases, pleaded, by 
every criminal, as a matter of course, and obliges the judge to com- 
route the infliction of death, for some milder punishment. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 133 

Throughout all Europe, and especially in England, a 
taste was now generally diffused for literature, and the lib- 
eral as well as mechanical arts; for commerce, and for colo- 
nial establishments. But the English seem not yet to have 
learned the art of dyeing and dressing woolen-cloth : it was 
mostly exported as it came from the loom, and was dyed 
and finished by the Dutch. Holland, at this time, traded 
to England with six-hundred ships ; England to Holland, 
with only sixty. The most active promoter of the colonies 
was Richard Hakluyt, prebendary of Westminster ; who, 
in order to excite his countrymen to naval enterprise, pub- 
lished his valuable collection of voyages and discoveries 
made by Englishmen. King James divided Virginia into 
two districts : the southern portion still retained its name ; 
but the northern received the appellation of New England. 
A charter was granted to Hakluyt, Gates, and Summers; 
authorizing them to occupy, in the former, an extent of 
one-hundred miles along the coast, and extend to an equal 
distance into the interior. Accordingly, three vessels, under 
the command of captain Newport, with one-hundred men, 
set sail ; and, on the 26th of April, 1607, entered the Bay 
of Chesapeake ; contemplating, with delight, the happy 
discovery of that spacious inlet. Then, keeping along the 
southern shore, they sailed up a river, which the natives 
called Powhatan ; and to which they gave the name of James 
river. Having landed, they called their infant settlement 
James Town ; which, though still only a poor place, can 
boast of being the most ancient English establishment in 
America. Gates and Summers, about two years after- 
wards, sailed with five-hundred planters. In their passage, 
they were stranded on the Bermuda Islands; but, at length, 
they succeeded in reaching James Town, with all their ad- 
venturers. The first governor of the new colony was lord 
Delaware. 

We must not omit to mention captain Smith, as a most 
intrepid and distinguished character amongst these early 
settlers ; nor the marriage of captain Rolfe, with the beau- 
tiful and amiable Pocahuntas, daughter of the great chief 
Powhatan; from which celebrated princess, some of the 
most opulent families in Virginia are proud to claim their 
descent. 

The most ancient permanent establishment in New Eng- 
land was made in the year 1620, in Massachusetts Bay; and 
was named New Plymouth. Thence, arising from theolo- 
gical disputes, were formed, Rhode Island and Connecti- 



1S4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

cut ; one under the direction of a clergyman named WiU 
Hams ; at a place which he called Providence : the other, 
under that of Hooker, also a clerg-yman ; the oldest settle- 
ment in which is Hartford. New Hampshire is indebted 
for its rise to the same cause : it made no advancement, 
until Exeter was founded by Mr, Wheelright ; a divine 
who had been banished from Massachusetts. 

To enter into a minute criticism of the writers of this 
age, would exceed our plan. Their style was rude, and 
widely different from the present; but their distorted ex- 
pressions are attended with such vigour of mind, that we 
must admire the imagination which produced them. Ben 
Jonson, an eminent dramatic writer, possessed more learn- 
ing than Shakespeare, but Mas far inferior to him in genius ; 
and Beaumont, and his coadjutor, Fletcher, were also con- 
spicuous for their comic talents. Camden was the most 
correct historian of his age ; Speed and Stow are distin- 
guished for their labours in the same walk ; and Spelman, 
as well as sir Robert Cotton, has transmitted interesting- 
researches for the antiquarian. As a lawyer, deeply learn- 
ed in his arduous profession, we must distinguish sir Ed- 
ward Coke ; advanced to the office of lord chief justice. 
His most remarkable work is the Institutes of the Laws of 
England; part of which is a translation from the writings of 
sir Thomas Littleton, one of the judges in the reign of Ed- 
w^ard the fourth. Inigo Jones has left various monuments of 
skill in architecture. Mathematics engrossed the chief at- 
tention of Hariot, Gunter, and lord Napier. Gunter is the 
contriver of the valuable rule of proportion inscribed upon 
his Scale : in 1614, that science was enriched by Napier's 
invention of logarithms ; and, in five years afterwards the 
circulation of the blood was discovered by Dr. Harvey. 
But, so slow is the progress of truth, in every science, when 
opposed by pre-existing opinions, that no physician in Eu- 
rope, who had reached forty years of age, ever adopted that 
great discovery ; and Harvey's practice in London was ex- 
tremely diminished, from the reproach which it drew upon 
him. 

The dignity of Baronet, the lowest degree of hereditary 
honours, was founded by king James. This title, originally 
confined to gentlemen who held a clear annual income from 
lands of one-thousand pounds, was granted in consideration 
of a certain pecuniary payment, and of each member's rais- 
ing and maintaining thirty soldiers for the defence of the 
Irish province of Ulster. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 135 

AgTicuIture, though much improved, was still very im- 
perfect. England, in a great measure, depended upon 
foreign nations for her daily bread. Wheat was considered 
low at thirty-two shillings; barley, at sixteen shillings per 
quarter, of eight bushels : a turkey sold for three shillings 
and six pence; a goose two shillings; though the pay of a 
private soldier, enlisted from a much better rank than at 
present, was only eight pence a day ; by which, we may form 
some estimate of the general remuneration of manual labour; 
and conclude, that the working people were not so comforta- 
bly provided, as at the present time. By the king's direc- 
tion, mulberry -trees were planted, and silk-worms intro- 
duced ; but, to the success of this project, the climate of 
England was unfavourable. That valuable article, Alum, 
indispensable in the dyeing of several colours, was first 
manufactured in England in the year 1608; having, before, 
been imported from the continent. 

Hudson, when searching for a north-west passage to the 
East Indies, entered the spaciovis bay which retains his 
name; and the English, in this reign, discovered and plant- 
ed the island of Barbadoes. 

CHARLES THE FIRST. 

1625--. 1649. 

Charles, the only surviving son of James, ascended the 
throne at the age of twenty-five years. In his father's life 
time, he had been contracted to the princess Henrietta, of 
France, daughter of Henry the fourth ; with whom the 
nuptials were celebrated shortly after he assumed the reins 
of government. 

When we view him in the domestic circle of his family, 
it is difficult to imagine a character more respectable: a 
kind husband — an indulgent father — a gentle master — a 
steadfast friend. His address and manner, though inclin- 
ing towards formality, corresponded to his rank; and gave 
grace to his natural gravity and reserve. The good sense 
which he evinced in conversation, promised success in 
every reasonable undertaking; and he displayed other en- 
dowments, which, in a private gentleman, would have been 
highly ornamental, and, in a monarch, might have been 
exerted for the benefit of society. In any other age, or na- 
tion, this prince would probably have enjoyed a happy 
reign. The exalted idea, however, of regal authorit)-. 



136 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

which he had imbibed, made him incapable of yielding to 
the determined spirit of liberty, which now began to pre- 
vail amongst his subjects; but, happily for the nation, he 
was deficient in ability to maintain, what he, from educa- 
tion, supposed to be his right. 

At war with Spain and with the house of Austria; com- 
menced in the late reign for the purpose of aiding his 
brother-in-law against the encroachments of the latter; and 
continued by the evil counsel of the duke of Buckingham ; 
his empty treasury, and precarious revenue, promised an 
unsuccessful struggle. From a parliament, composed of 
all the talent, and all the patriotism of the nation ; men, 
who carried their opinions of religious reformation, far be- 
yond the moderate doctrines of the king, and who viewed 
with indignant jealousy the unmerited honours of the duke, 
the bosom friend and minister of Charles, no supplies could 
be expected, without his yielding to their demands. The 
house of commons were almost entirely led by characters 
of the most uncommon capacity, and the largest views; 
formed into a regular party, united by principle, and by 
the injuries which many of them had sustained. Amongst 
these, were, sir Edward Sandys, sir Edward Coke, sir 
Francis Seymour, sir Dudley Digges, sir John Elliot, sir 
Thomas Wentworth, Mr. Selden, and Mr. Pym; which 
distinguished patriots, animated with a warm regard for lib- 
erty, boldly resolved not to grant any supplies, without re- 
ceiving some favourable concessions. 

The grievances complained of, were forced loans, taxes 
w'ithout consent of parliament, arbitrary imprisonments, the 
billeting of soldiers, and martial law. 

There raged then in London a violent plague ; which 
constrained the king, after receiving, in return for some 
small token of complaisance, about one-hundred-thousand 
pounds, to remove the parliament to Oxford. Here, he 
made an attempt to gain some further aid. But they re- 
mained inexorable, and Charles finished the session by a 
dissolution; openly expressing hie displeasure. 

As a substitute for parliamentary supply, he issued privy 
seals, for borrowing money from his subjects ; which creat- 
ed considerable disgust: and, to increase the public mur- 
murs, an expedition, which he had despatched against the 
Spaniards, proved unsuccessful and disastrous. 

In the ensuing spring, a second parliament was sum- 
moned. Four of the popular leaders of the commons — 
Coke, Philips, Seymour, and Wentworth, had been ap- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. IS7 

pointed, by the crown, sheriffs of counties, to prevent their 
election as members. But, notwithstanding this measure, 
and other improper stretches of prerogative, a sufficient 
number of patriots was returned. The king went so far, as 
to threaten the commons, that, if they did not furnish him 
with supplies, he should be obliged to try new councils. 
These threats served rather to rouse than to intimidate; 
and the commons went boldly forward in the great work of 
liberty. The king, with occasional retractions, as violently 
opposed: and, at length, irritated by the increasing spirit 
of patriotic firmness, he again closed the session by a dis- 
solution. 

To uphold the authority of the crown, by the interfer- 
ence of religion, sermons were preached and distributed, 
in favour of the «^ new councils," and a general loan which 
Charles began to exact throughout the kingdom. In these, 
passive obedience, in its full extent, was recommended : 
the whole civil power was declared to belong to the king 
alone; and all constitutional limitations were rejected, as 
impious and seditious. But many refused to lend their 
money, and were immured in prison. Five gentlemen, 
only — Darnel, Corbet, Earl, Heviningham, and John Hamb- 
den, had sufficient spirit to defend the public liberties, and 
to demand enlargement: not as a favour, but as a right. 
This question was brought, by Hambden, to a solemn argu- 
ment, in the Exchequer chamber; but, as the judges were 
then removable from office at the will of the king, and con- 
sequently afraid of contravening his decree, only four of 
their number had the honesty to support the laws ; and the 
decision was given against Hambden. 
, ^ The duke of Buckingham, having daily become 
more obnoxious to the public, had been impeached 
in parliament; but without a final decision. Yet, as if he 
still further courted the odium of the nation, he plunged 
his country into a war with France. The monarch then 
on the throne of that kingdom was Louis the thirteenth. 
His minister was the celebrated cardinal Richelieu. It ap- 
pears, that Buckingham, presuming on an easy and polite 
reception ^iven him by the French queen, had entertained 
towards her, serious intentions of gallantry; and, that, after 
his departure, having, upon some pretence, returned, he 
paid her a visit; and was dismissed, with a reproof, which, 
however, savoured more of kindness than of anger. Infor- 
mation of this was soon carried to the cardinal; whose vigi- 
lance, it is said, was roused by a stronger motive than re- 



las HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

spect for the honour of his mistress. When, therefore, tiie 
duke was preparing for a new embassy to Paris, a message 
was sent him, from Louis, intimating that he must not 
think of such a journey. But, Buckingham, in a romantic 
passion, swore, that he would see the queen, in spite of all 
the power of France; and, from that moment, determined 
to have a war. Accordingly, under pretence of assisting the 
Hugonots, a sect of protestants in France, he made an at- 
'tempt, with a large fleet and an army of seven-thousand 
men, upon the Isle of Rhe; but, instead of reaching Paris, 
he had much difficulty in even returning to England; as he 
was compelled to retreat, with the loss of two-thirds of his 
forces; totally discredited, both as an admiral and a general. 

It may well be imagined, that the king and the duke 
now dreaded, above all things the calling of a parliament; 
but the urgent occasion for money drove them under the 
necessity of embracing that expedient. When the com- 
mons assembled, they displayed the same independent 
spirit as their predecessors; yet, although many of the 
members had been cast into prison, and had suffered by 
the measures of the court, they entered upon business with 
perfect temper and decorum. The king said to them in 
his speech, " If you do not perform your duty, in contribut- 
ing to the necessities of the state, I must, in discharge of 
my conscience, use those other means^ which God has put 
into my hands; in order to save that, which the folly of 
some men, may, otherwise, put in danger. Take not this 
for threatening," added he, " for I scorn to threaten any but 
my equals ; but as an admonition, from him, who, by na- 
ture and duty, has most care of your preservation and pros- 
perity." 

The business having commenced, sir Francis Seymour 
said : " This is the great council of the kingdom ; and here, 
with certainty, if not here, only, his majesty may see, as in 
a true glass, the state of the kingdom. We are called 
hither, by his writs, to give him faithful counsel; such as 
may stand with his honour: and this we must do without 
flattery. We are also sent hither by the people, to deliver 
their just grievances : and this v/e must do without fear. 
Let us not act as Cambyses' judges; v;ho, when their ap- 
probation was demanded by the prince, to some illegal 
measure, said, that, though there was a written law, the 
Persian kings must follow their own will and pleasure. 
This was base flattery; fitter for reproof than imitation; 
and as fear, so flattery, taketh away the judgment. For 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 139 

my part, I will shun both ; and speak my mind, with as 
much duty as any man, to his majesty, without neglecting 
the public." 

Philips and Wcntworth ably supported the eloquence of 
Seymour ; and their sentiments w^ere unanimously em- 
braced. 

Though a supply of two-hundred-and-eighty-thousand 
pounds was voted, the house deferred passing it into a 
law, until they had provided some barriers against the en- 
croachments of the crown. A bill, entitled the Petition of 
Rights, was then passed through the commons; which re- 
ceived the sanction of the lords, and, after much evasion 
and duplicity, obtained the royal assent. 

But, the manner in which the king gave his approval of 
this bill, served rather to heighten the animosity, than re- 
lax the vigour, of the commons. To the complaints against 
tonnage and poundage, (impositions said to be levied for 
the navy,) loud outcries were joined against the Catholics, 
and the Arminians ; so that political and theological dis- 
putes went hand in hand. Information being given by the 
speaker, that he had a command from the king to adjourn 
the house, a short remonstrance was passed in the most 
tumultuary manner; declaring, that those who levied ton- 
nage and poundage, and those who should voluntarily pay 
those duties, were, alike, enemies of the commonwealth. 

To prepare an expedition for a further attack on 
France, the duke of Buckingham went to Ports- 
mouth; where his career was ended by an assassin. He 
Vv'as stabbed in the breast by one Felton ; who, having serv- 
ed under him as a lieutenant, was disappointed in promo- 
tion. Thus, do the unfortunate, by seeking for revenge, 
throw an indelible stain upon their memories, plunge their 
families into misery, and violate the most awful command- 
ment of their Creator. 

Henceforward, Charles placed his principal friendship 
and confidence in his queen; from whom, Buckingham 
had, in some degree, alienated his affections. By her 
general good sense and spirit, as well as by her beauty, she 
justified the fondness of her husband; though, being rather 
of a passionate temper, she involved him in hasty and im- 
prudent measures. Her religion, likewise, to which she 
was strongly attached, must be regarded as a great mis- 
fortune ; as it increased the jealousy of the nation against 
the court. 

Charles, being disgusted with parliaments, resolved, un- 
N 



140 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

til he should see the nation in a better humour, to do with- 
out their assistance; and, to lessen his expenditure, made 
peace with France and Spain. 

Various expedients were used to augment his revenue. 
For a stipulated sum of money, individuals were allowed 
the exclusive advantages arising from certain branches of 
commerce and manufacture; and all persons having a 
yearly income of twenty pounds, were compelled, under the 
pretence of being qualified, in conformity with a long ex- 
ploded custom, to attend the sovereign in war, either to 
accept knighthood, or pay a heavy fine for their non-com- 
pliance. 

The people were still further irritated by the conduct of 
Laud, archbishop of Canterbury; who studied to exalt the 
ecclesiastical power, and depress the civil : to revive the 
ancient ceremonies, and retard the progress of the puri- 
tans. The latter went ofi' in great numbers to New Eng- 
land; and there sought for that civil and religious liberty, 
Avhich they were denied at home. But their enemies were 
unwilling that they should any where be happy. Eiglit 
ships, lying in the Thames, ready to sail, were detained 
by the council ; in which, were embarked, Fiazlerig, Crom- 
-vvell, and Flambden; a measure of which the king had, af- 
terwards, great reason to repent. 

The situation of Scotland now demands our at- 
'^ * tention. There, too, the misguided Charles was 
involved in difficulties the most serious. With him, pre- 
judice had usurped the seat of reason; and misfortune ex- 
alted his lofty ideas of prerogative. The form of church 
government established in Scotland, was the presbyterian : 
could any thing, therefore, be imagined more absurd, or 
more impolitic, than an attempt to force, upon his northern 
subjects, the English liturgy, w4th the whole train of eccle- 
siastical dignities ? Yet this was really attempted ! A day 
Lad been appointed, by proclamation, for the first reading. 
of the new service in Edinburgh: and, accordingly, the 
dean, arrayed in his surplice, began the service ; the 
bishop himself, and many of the privy counsellors, being 
present. But, no sooner had the dean opened the book, 
than a multitude of the meanest sort, most of them w^o- 
men, clapping their hands, cursing, and crying out, A 
pofie ! a fio/ie ! antichrist 1 stone him! raised so great a tu- 
mult, that it was impossible to proceed with the service. 
The bishop, when mounting the pulpit in order to appease 
th^ populace, had a stool thrown at him; and, after the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 141 

magistrates had expelled the rabble, stones were thrown 
in through the doors and windows. These rude indications 
displayed, however, the general sentiments of the nation : 
an assembly soon after met at Glasgow; in v.hich, the litur- 
gy, and the whole fabric of episcopacy, were abolished, and 
a Covenant entered into, renouncing the papal doctrines, 
and binding the subscribers to resist all religious innova- 
tions. But, being sensible of the opposition which would 
be made, and that their religious tenets must be protected 
by military force, they prepared themselves for a vigorous 
defence. The earl of Argyle was their chief leader: the 
earls of Rothes, Cassils, Montrose, Lothian ; lords Lindsey, 
Loudon, Yester, and Balmerino ; distinguished themselves 
on the same side ; and the marquis of Huntley adhered to 
the king. War soon commenced, and continued with great 
disadvantage on the side of Charles. 

Heavy debts having been contracted, and the 
treasury exhausted, a parliament, after above eleven 
years' intermission, was summoned, as the only resource. 
But the comjiions paid no regard to the distresses of the 
king. Grievances were again the order of the day ; and, 
again, the friends of the king were outnumbered by his 
enemies; or, rather, the enemies of the nation were out- 
numbered by its friends. No supply was voted; and a dis- 
solution hastily ensued. 

An army, undisciplined, disheartened, mutinous, and bad- 
ly paid, was very unfit to contend with the enthusiastic 
soldiers of the North ; and retain in subjection the zealous 
and discontented inhabitants of England. Charles, in de- 
spair of being able to stem the torrent, resolved, again, to 
try the temper of the commons. In the month of Novem- 
ber, the great council of the nation assembled; distinguish- 
ed by the name of the long parliament; which immediately 
entered upon business, and in its very first proceeding gave 
an awful indication of what followed. 

Sir Thomas Wentworth, who had so eminently distin- 
guished himself in defence of liberty, had been, with many 
other patriots, loaded with royal favours. These may be 
regarded as the first attempts of the crown to lessen the 
strength of opposition, by enlisting the ablest members on 
its side ; a measure equally degrading to the monarch and 
the subject. Wentworth had been created earl of Strafford ; 
appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland ; latterly, he was made 
commander of the forces against the Scotch; and, for many 
years, was considered as chief counsellor of the king. But, 



142 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

in proportion as he gained the affection of the king, he lost 
the confidence of the people; and, by a concurrence of ac- 
cidents, laboured under the severe hatred of the English, 
the Irish, and the Scotch. Aware of the danger of appear- 
ing amongst his enraged enemies, he would gladly have 
been excused from attending the present parliament : but 
the king promised him protection ; and assured him, that 
" not a hair of his head should be touched." On his arri- 
val, the attack commenced. Pym, in a long, studied dis- 
course, enumerated the national grievances; from the sev- 
eVal oppressions, inferred, that a plan had been formed for 
subverting the ancient constitution of the kingdom, and 
mentioned Strafford as the most distinguished betrayer of 
his country. He was impeached for high treason and ar- 
rested. Westminster Hall was the place appointed for his 
trial; where both houses sat: the commons as accusers, 
the lords as judges ; and a close gallery was prepared for 
the king and queen; who attended during the whole of this 
important business. Four months had been employed in 
framing the accusation ; yet, so great was the genius and 
presence of mind displayed by this accomplished statesman, 
that he gained over his accusers a decided victory. Find- 
ing that, upon these charges it would be impossible to con- 
vict him, a bill of attainder v/as voted in parliament, and 
carried to the king for his assent. The populace flocked 
about the palace, and accompanied their demands for just- 
ice with the loudest clamours, and the most open menaces; 
and every thing threatened an imminent convulsion. Charles 
abhorred the idea of dooming to destruction his friend, for 
whose safety he was pledged. But the queen, in tears, 
pressed him to gratify the people ; and Strafford, himself, 
wrote a letter to the king, entreating him "to put an end to 
his unfortunate, though innocent, life." Charles, in an evil 
hour, consented to the bill ; and by this act, consigned to 
the scaffold his firmest friend, and fixed upon his own 
memory an indelible reproach. The authority of the crown 
was now annihilated : the government became purely de- 
mocratical; and the king merely an instrument of form. 

In the following autumn, Charles was employed 
in Scotland ; endeavouring, by concessions, to ap- 
pease the general discontent. When preparing to return, 
he received intelligence of a formidable rebellion having 
broken out in Ireland. On every side, he was pursued by 
opposition and civil wars. The most effective portion of 
the army having been withdrawn from the protection of the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 143 

Irish government, the native race resolved to seize the fa- 
vourable opportunity of driving out the new settlers in Ul- 
ster: the flames of rebellion instantly spread over the whole 
country ; so that, in a short time, Dublin, and a few other 
fortified towns, were all that remained in the hands of the 
English. 

In England, affairs rapidly approached a crisis. To the 
general amazement, the king, in order to arrest some ob- 
noxious members, entered the house of commons ; having 
left an armed retinue at the door. The speaker withdrew 
from the chair ; of which, the king took possession. Hav- 
ing made a short speech, he then demanded of that officer, 
whether any of those persons w ere in the house ; but he 
gave him no satisfaction. The commons were thrown into 
the utmost disorder. When the king was departing, some 
members cried aloud, privilege! privilege! and the house 
then adjourned until the next day. 

Alarming cries resounded through the city: tumult suc- 
ceeded; and the king, dreading the result, retired to Hamp- 
ton Court ; a royal palace, about fourteen miles from Lon- 
don. The parliament immediately assumed the command 
of the army, and of all the principal fortresses and towns ; 
issuing their orders under " the authority of the king, sig- 
nified by both houses of parliament." Charles then remov- 
ed, still further, from the capital ; taking with him two of 
his sons, the prince of Wales, and the duke of York ; and 
sending his queen to Holland : whence, by pawning the 
crown-jewels, and by the influence of her son-in-law, the 
prince of Orange, she was enabled to return with artillery 
and ammunition, 

, With a degree of activity, neither expected by his 

friends, nor apprehended by his enemies, Charles 
prepared himself for defence, and roused up liis adherents 
to arms. Above forty peers, of the first rank, attended him 
at York ; and his court soon bore the appearance of dignity 
and splendour. From that city, he advanced southwards, 
to Nottingham, and there erected his standard — the open 
signal of discord and civil war. 

From Nottingham, the king marched to Shrewsbury. 
Here, on mustering his army, he found that it amounted to 
ten-thousand men. The earl of Lindsey was appointed 
general : prince Rupert, his nephew, son of the Palatine, 
commanded the light cavalry; sir Arthur Aston, the dra- 
goons: sir Jacob Astley, the foot: sir John Heydon, the 
artillery : lord Bernard Stuart was at the bead of a ti'oop of 
N 2 



144 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

guards ; and, besides these officers, he had, in the courst" 
of the war, the assistance of the earl of Montrose, the duke 
of Hamilton, and many more persons of distinction. 

The parliamentary army was commanded by lord Fair- 
fax, sir William Waller, the earl of Essex, and earl of Man- 
chester. The earls of Northumberland and Warwick, were 
intrusted with the navy. But the men, on whom the events 
of the war finally depended, v/ere, sir Thomas Fairfax, sou 
of lord Fairfax, and Oliver Cromwell; particularly the lat- 
ter. This extraordinary man, already conspicuous in par- 
liament, for his opposition to the Roman Catholics, was 
born at Huntingdon, of a respectable family, who inherited 
an independent landed estate. His mother, whose name 
was Stuart, was related, it is supposed, to the family on 
the throne. He had been sent to college ; but his gc^nius 
was little suited to the elegant pursuits of learning. In his 
])erson, he was ungraceful : in his dress, slovenly : in his 
elocution, tedious and obscure. 

The first military affair took place near V\"orcester ; 
where colonel Sandys, who commanded a body of cavalry 
imder Essex, was defeated by prince Rupert. To this, suc- 
ceeded the well contested battle of Edgehill ; in which, the 
king himself bore a conspicuous part. He was there op- 
posed by the earl of Essex ; and both sides continued the 
action with the utmost bravery, until night ended the fury 
of the combat. 

Afterwards, there occurred, the battles of Stratton, 
Roundway-down, Chalgravefield, (where the great Hamb- 
den was killed) Atherton-Moor, and Copredy-Bridge ; in 
which, the king was successful : those of Landsdov»n and 
Newbury, undecided ; also, the battles of Wakefield, Gains- 
borough, Horncastle, Selby, Cherington, Marston-Moor, 
and a second battle at Newbury; those of Naseby, Torring- 
lon, Sherburne in Yorkshire, Stowe, and Preston in Lan- 
cashire ; in favour of the parliament. At Naseby, the roy- 
alists were so severely beaten, as to render their affairs ir- 
■ctrievablc. In that engagement, the main body of the 
royal army was ably commanded by the king himself, sec- 
onded by prince Rupert. Fairfax led on the forces of the 
parliament ; assisted by Skippon, Cromwell, and his son-in- 
law, Ireton. 

There were fev/ places, throughout the entire kingdom, 
W'hich did not feel the effects of these dreadful commotions. 
Bristol, Gloucester, and Hull; Nantwich, Newark, and Lin- 
coln j York. Newcastle, Lyme, and Weymouth; experi- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 145 

enced the hardships of a siege : also, Pomfret, Carlisle, 
and Chester ; Taunton in Somersetshire ; Leicester, and 
Bath ; Sherborn, Winchester, and Dartmouth ; Exeter, 
Hereford, and Colchester. 

Scarcely had the parliament acquired the ascendency, 
when their meetings became scenes of faction and confu- 
sion. A new party arose upon the ruins of the old. These 
were called Independents; who aimed not only at the total 
abolition of monarchy and aristocracy, but also of ecclesias- 
tical distinctions, and every other rank in society. Tlieir 
principal leaders were sir Harry Vane and Oliver Crom- 
well. Essex, Northumberland, Warwick, and sir William 
Waller, remained firm to the more rational opinions of the 
presbyterians.^ The command of the army devolved upon 
sir Thomas Fairfax, a moderate independent ; and, under 
him, in appearance, upon Cromwell ; by whom, the former 
was, for a long time, entirely governed. 

In the midst of this confusion. Archbishop Laud was 
executed. 

Nearly four years had elapsed since the king 
erected his standard at Nottingham ; during which 
time, he had encountered every difficulty with the greatest 
fortitude. W^hen driven from the field, Oxford may be 
considered as his principal retreat. Here, he had, for a 
short time, a distinct parliament ; and made many fruitless 
endeavours towards a reconciliation. Henceforth, from the 
independents, he had nothing to expect but death. From 
the Scotch army, his countrymen, he had, he thought, some 
claim to protection. Accompanied only by two gentlemen, 
he passed, therefore, to tlieir camp, at Newark. But they 
instantly placed a guard upon him, and soon afterwards 
delivered him to the English parliament. 

Most violent contentions had, for some time past, existed 
between the parliament and the army. But the latter now 
struck a blow which may be deemed decisive. Charles had 
been conveyed to Holdenby in Northamptonshire; at which 
place, by the directions of Cromwell, cornet Joyce, at the 
head of five-hundred horse, appeared; and going up to the 
king, told him, that he must immediately accom}:)any him. 
»• Whither r" said the king. " To the army," replied Joyce. 
*' By what warrant?" demanded Charles. — Joyce pointed to 
his soldiers — tall, handsome, and well accoutred. " Your 
warrant," said Charles, smiling, <<is written in fair charac- 
ters — legible without spelling." He was then conveyed to 
Triplo-Heath, near Cambridge, 



146 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Cromwell now proceeded to London, in order to subject 
the parliament. In this, he completely succeeded. The 
government bccam.e, in reality, a military tribunal ; parlia- 
ment, an empty name ; used rather to countenance the tur- 
bulence of the army, than to curb its licentiousness, or ad- 
minister justice to the people. Tedious negotiations en- 
sued. The king granted more than was desired by the 
friends of the nation, and nearly all that was demanded by 
his own enemies. But, though he agreed to surrender al- 
most every exercise of regal office, and almost entirely to 
suppress the established religion throughout the empire, 
and even within the precincts of his own house, he could 
not obtain a restoration ; either because, from his equivo- 
cal manner of negotiating, it was thought*imprudent to 
confide in him, or that it was not the wish of the ruling 
faction, that an accommodation should be effected, on any 
terms. 

In the house of commons, a vote was made, de- 
claring it treason in a king to levy war against his 
parliament; and appointing a High Court of Justice, to 
try Charles for that offence. This measure was rejected 
by the lords ; but the commons disregarded their dissent, 
and unanimously passed an order for his trial. 

The court sat in Westminster Hall ; and consisted of 
one-hundred-and-thirty-three members, appointed by the 
commons; of which number, there never met above seven- 
ty. Amongst these, were Cromwell, Ireton, and many 
other officers of the army. Bradshaw, a lawyer, was pre- 
sident : Coke, (not sir Edward,) was solicitor for the peo- 
ple of England. Having examined some witnesses, who 
proved that the king had appeared in arms against the for- 
ces of the parliament, they pronounced a sentence of death. 
Three days were allowed him, between his sentence and 
execution : which interval, he passed with great tranquil- 
lity ; chiefly in reading and devotion. All his family who 
then remained in England were allowed to see him. These 
w^ere, the princess Elizabeth, and a little child, the duke of 
Gloucester : the rest having escaped. 

The awful scaffold, upon which this unhappy monarcli 
was to expiate the errors of his government, was erected 
in the street before '\Vhite Hall. Here, having attributed 
his misfortunes, and his deatii, to the unjust sentence which 
he had allowed to take effect upon the earl of Strafford ; 
and freely forgiven his enemies, even the chief instruments 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 147 

of his death ; at one blow, his head was severed from his 
body. 

Charles was executed in the forty-ninth year of his age, 
and the twenty-fourth of his reign. His features were regular 
and handsome ; though of rather a melancholy aspect : he 
■was of a middle stature ; strong and well proportioned. He 
left six children : three males — Charles, prince of Wales, 
James,^ duke of York, Henry, duke of Gloucester : and 
three females — Mary, princess of Orange, Elizabeth, and 
Henrietta. 

The commons ordered a new Great Seal to be engrav- 
ed ; with this legend : " On the first year of freedom, by 
God's blessing restored, 1648." The king's statue in the 
exchange was thrown down ; and, on the pedestal, was in- 
scribed: '''-Exit Tyrannus^ Regum Ultimas.''^ [The tyrant 
is gone ; the last of the kings.] 

If we take an impartial review of this memorable period, 
we shall find much to adniire, and much the subject of re- 
gret and condemnation. We must admire the sincere 
patriotism of the lamented Hambden, we must regret the 
early obstinacy of the king, and condemn the deep dissimu- 
lation of the detested Cromwell. 

Pym and the earl of Essex died before the total over- 
throw of their party : the former, in the beginning of the 
war ; the latter, about two years previous to the death of 
Charles. 

Gataker, and Usher, archbishop of Armagh, who flour- 
ished at this period, were highly eminent, not only as di- 
vines, but for their general acquirements in literature. St. 
Christopher's, Nevis, Antigua, and Maryland, were settled 
in this reign. The latter colony was planted, under royal 
authority, by lord Baltimore. 

THE COMMONWEALTH. 

1649 — 1660. 

To give a clear delineation of the government, or the 
religion, at this time existing in England, is a task to which 
the pen of the historian is unequal. That the government, 
shortly after the death of Charles, and the consequent ex- 
tinction of the civil wars, assumed a degree of vigour, un- 
known before in England, or, indeed, in any other country 
of the world, the history of that period sufficiently evinces. 
But, by what title this ruling power should be denominat- 



i48 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ed, is a question, to which we are unable to reply. It was 
not a democracy ; because, though the house of lords was 
abolished, the semblance of a parliament, which yet re- 
mained, was not the choice of the people. The members 
were added, or expelled, at the caprice of its own majority; 
and, instead of a republic, the best calculated for the hap- 
piness of a virtuous nation, England now beheld herself un- 
der the absolute control of a despot ; a many-headed des- 
pot : having' exchanged the tyranny of one, for the more 
odious tyranny of a number. 

In matters of religion, almost every one had adopted a 
system, which, not being derived from any scriptural au- 
thority, was peculiar to himself — foimded, rather on imagin- 
ary inspiration, than on a clear principle of human reason 
— promulgated by vulgar declamation, and a bold hypo- 
critical cant. 

It was usual for the pretended saints of this time, to 
change their names, from Henry, Edward, Anthony, or 
William, which they regarded as heathenish, into others 
more sanctified and godly : even the New Testament names, 
such as James, Andrew, John, or Peter, were not held in 
so much regard, as those borrowed from the Old Testa- 
ment ; and sometimes a whole sentence was adoi')ted as a 
name.* 

The presbyterians, by v/hose credit the arms of the par- 
liament had first been supported, being overthrown by the 
treachery of the zealots, would gladly again have embrac- 
ed a well regulated monarchy, in place of the present 
mockery of freedom. But the great influence of Crom- 
well ; his dark, designing, and impetuous manner, aided 
by a well disciplined army of fifty -thousand men devoted to 
his will ; and his uncommon talents as a general ; main- 
tained, throughout England, a profound tranquillity. 

No new writs of election were issued, except to places 

* The following- are the names of a jury, said to have been on a 
trial in the county of Suffolk. 

Accepted Trevor, Return Spelman, 

Redeemed Compton, Be fiiiihfiil Joiner, 

Faint not llewit. Fly debate Roberts, 

Make peace Heaton, F:ght the g-ood fight of faith White, 

God reward Smart, More fruit Fowler, 

Standfast on high Stringer, Hope for B-nding, 

Earth Adams, Graceful Harding-, 

Called Lower, Weep not Billing-, 

Kill sin Pimple, Meek Brewer 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 149 

where the commons hoped that their own friends would be 
chosen ; and, though the Executive Council contained 
many highly resj^ectable characters, we may safely affirm, 
that, as Cromwell himself was a member of that body, 
every important measure must have required his m-evious 
consent. 

In Ireland, the ascendency had been contended for by no 
fewer than three parties — the king, the parliament, and the 
natives. Butler, marquis of Ormond, lord lieutenant at 
the time of the king's overthrow, had surrendered, by di- 
rection of Charles, all the garrisons in that country, to the 
forces of the parliament, in preference to the council of Kil- 
kenny, by whom the Irish were directed. But, the earls 
of Clanricarde and Inchiquin, dreading the ruin of their 
country, as well from its own commotions, as from the do- 
minion of the parliament, succeeded in uniting a powerful 
body of the Irish and the Royalists, and successfully at- 
tacked the towns of Dundalk and Drogheda. 

In this situation of aftairs, Cromwell, having got 
himself appointed lieutenant of Ireland, proceeded 
thither with a numerous and well appointed army. He 
landed at Dublin; and thence, hastened to Drogheda; then 
well fortified and garrisoned v/ith three-thousand men, un- 
der sir Arthur Asion. Cromwell was not fond of a long 
protracted siege. Here, as in all other places, the busi- 
ness was soon performed. Having effected a breach, he 
ordered a general assault ; himself and Ireton leading the 
attack. The town was taken, sword-in-hand ; and one, only, 
of all the garrison, escaped the barbarous slaughter. 

Wexford, and its defenders, experienced a similar fate; 
and, in a few months, he made himself master of the entire 
kingdom. Even to this day, his name is still fresh amongst 
the Irish. There is not a ruined castle, or dilapidated 
mansion, throughout the country, with which, the very chil- 
dren are not taught to associate the name of Cromwell. 

The whole authority in Scotland had fallen into the hands 
of Argyle, and the rigid covenanters; a party, who, though 
warmly opposed to the royal interest, were still more strong- 
ly averse to the independents. They therefore proclaimed 
the prince of Wales, under the title of Charles the second: 
but on condition of " his good behaviour, and strict observ- 
ance of the covenant." 

Charles, poor and neglected ; living sometimes in Hol- 
land, sometimes in France, and occasionally in Jersey ; was 
glad to obtain a footing in the country, in any manner ; ac- 



150 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ccpted the crown upon such terms as were prescribed ; 
and, after his arrival in Scotland, joined in the most de- 
grading declarations ag;ainst the conduct of his father, and 
the religion of his mother I 

Fai^x having resigned his commission, Cromwell was 
declared, what he was really before, captain general of all 
the forces in England; and entered Scotland with an army 
of sixteen-thousand men. The command of his northern 
enemies was given to Leslie ; an officer cautious and ex- 
perienced. But the Scottish clergy, deceived by a frenzied 
imagination, forced their general to an untimely battle, at 
Dunbar; where Leslie was overthrown, \yith the loss of 
nearly his whole army. 

Now reduced to despair, Charles embraced a resolution 
worthy of success. Accompanied by Hamilton and Les- 
lie, with fovirteen-thousand troops, he entered England ; 
and advanced as far as Worcester. Cromwell, leaving 
general Monk to complete the subjection of Scotland, pur- 
sued the enemy, and almost totally destroyed them. 
Charles took refuge at Boscobel, a solitary house on the 
borders of Staffordshire, inhabited by one Penderell, a farm- 
er, and his four brothers ; to whom he discovered himself: 
and, though death awaited the knowledge of their generos- 
ity, or reward the betraying of their trust, those noblemind- 
ed peasants were faithful to their guest. Here, Charles as- 
sumed a rustic dress : and, for better concealment, mount- 
ed upon an oak ; where he remained for twenty-four hours. 
When hidden within the branches, he sav/ several soldiers 
pass in search of him. This tree was afterwards named the 
" Royal Oak ;" a rude painting of which, with the prince's 
head seen amongst the leaves, is still used throughout the 
British dominions, as an external appendage to an inn. 

After many adventures, highly interesting and romantic, 
he arrived safely at Fescamp in Normandy. 

All the settlements in America, except New England, 
having adhered to the royal party, a few ships were des- 
patched for their reduction ; and the Bermudas, Virginia, 
Antigua, and Barbadoes, were obliged to surrender. 

By the universal pacification of the British do- 
* minions, the parliament had leisure to look abroad 
for employment; and the Dutch were the first that felt ihe 
weight of their successful arms. A feeling of hostility 
had, for some time, mutually existed ; but, what eventually 
produced a war, v/as the famous Act of Navigation. This 
prohibited every state from carrying into England any com- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Ibl 

modity which was not the growth or manufacture of the 
country to which the vessels employed in its transporta- 
tion respectively belonged. In the English navy, Blake, 
one of the greatest admirals of his day ; also Bourne, Penn, 
Deane, Monk, and Ayscue; sustained the honour of the 
British flag. On the side of the Dutch, were, the celebrat- 
ed Tromp and De Ruyter ; with De Witte and Van Galen. 
Though, however, the states defended themselves with ad- 
mirable bravery, they were unable to withstand the valour 
of the English, aided by the superior size of their ships of 
war. 

The parliament, grov/n jealous of the land-forces, 
'^* had been, for some time, ardently working to de- 
press the army, and exalt, by every means, the power and 
character of the navy. But, Cromwell resolved to coun- 
teract them. He entered the house, accompanied by a 
strong guard, and loaded them with the vilest reproaches. 
*' For shame," cried he ; " get you gone: give place to hon- 
ester men ; to those who will more faithfully discharge 
their trust. You are no longer a parliament: the Lord has 
done with you." Then, having ordered his soldiers to clear 
the house, he himself went out the last, andj putting the key 
into his pocket, departed to his lodgings at Whitehall. 

The whole power, civil and niilitary, of three extensive 
kingdoms, was now in the hands of Cromwell. In propor- 
tion to the increase of his authority, the talents of this won- 
derful man seemed always to expand; and, every day, he 
displayed new abilities, which had lain concealed until the 
very event wdiich had called them into action. The name 
of parliament, however, seemed a necessary cover to his 
ambition ; and, at that time, a necessary instrument of na- 
tional subjection. He summoned, therefore, a legislature 
of his own appointment; the majority of which were the 
very dregs of the fanatics. This body, from the mortified 
appearance of its members, particularly of 07ie of its exalt- 
ing hypocrites, received the name of Barebone's parlia- 
ment. It was by them seriously proposed, to abolish the 
Common Law, as a badge of the Norman Conquest: to 
dispense with the clerical function, as being, in their opin- 
ion, a remnant of popery : to eradicate learning, as heathen- 
ish and unnecessary; and besides, that the records in the 
Tower should be burned; that the memory of things past 
should be effaced, and that the whole system of life should 
begin anew. 



1^2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

But, at length, even Cromwell himself growing asham- 
ed of his legislators, he sent to the house a party of soldiers ; 
who dispersed them. 

Through the influence of general Lambert, Cromwell 
was, by the voice of a few military officers, declared chief 
magistrate ; under the title of protector, with the honoura- 
ble addition of highness; subject, in some matters, to the 
control of a council of twenty-one. After this, a new par- 
liament was summoned; chosen according to the ancient 
constitution, but, ultimately, selected, agreeably to the pro- 
tector's will. 

England had never been so formidable as during 
' Cromwell's usurpation. Having compelled the 
Dutch to sue for peace, the Spaniards next felt the vigour 
of her arms. In this war, Blake had an extensive field, in 
which to display his valour and abilities ; and every where 
supported the national renown. Penn and Venables being 
sent to the West Indies, annexed to the British empire the 
island of Jamaica; one of the most valuable colonies that 
England ever possessed ; if, indeed, the colonial system is 
not rather injurious, than beneficial, to the parent country. 
,^ At length, the crown was tendered to the protect- 

or. Many, even of the royalists, through a desire of 
settling the nation, joined, on this occasion, in the address. 
But the military became alarmed; and Cromwell was con- 
strained to refuse what he would have willingly accepted. 
Great discontents soon prevailed throughout the kingdom. 
Lord Fairfax and sir William Waller, united with the roy- 
alists in a conspiracy : the army were infected with the gen- 
eral feeling; and every thing indicated a sudden and tre- 
mendous eruption. The anxious mind of Cromwell began 
to shake the firmness of his constitution : a slow fever was 
produced; and, to that, succeeded a tertian ague; which 
carried him off in the fifty-ninth year of his age, and the 
fifth of his protectorship. 

His eldest son, Richard, was appointed to succeed him> 
Henry, the brother of Richard, being governor of Ireland, 
ensured him the obedience of that kingdom; and Monk 
supported his authority in Scotland. 

But the new protector was ill-suited to uphold the crazy 
grandeur of his father. Peaceable, amiable, unambitious, 
he was calculated to live happily in the social enjoyments 
of his family, amidst the delightful satisfaction of a coun- 
try retirement ; to which he had long been accustomed. 
He was soon deposed ; and willingly resigned the sceptre 



HISTORY OF ENGLANDo 153 

for the plough. Having, therefore, returned to his estate, 
he lived to an extreme old age ; contented and undisturbed. 
Anarchy now held her dreadful reign. But, for- 
tunately for the empire, Providence had prepared 
a welcome agent for its relief. General Monk, with most 
admirable address, appeared in London, with his army : a 
free parliament was chosen ; and the temper of the new 
members, wearied by commotions, clearly evinced their 
wishes for the ancient constitution. 

Every thing being arranged, the general directed An- 
nesly, president of the council, to inform the commons, 
that sir John Granville, had been sent over by Charles ; 
and was then at the door, with a letter to the House. 
Granville was called in : the letter was eagerly read ; with- 
out a moment's delay, a committee was appointed to pre- 
pare an answer; the lords hastened to reinstate themselves 
in their accustomed authority ; and Charles, with great 
solemnity, was proclaimed king. Thus, ended, after eleven 
years' struggle, the Commonwealth of England. How dif- 
ferent has been the fate of the American republic ; and yet 
how similar were their patriots. But the latter owes the 
stability of its admirable constitution, to the happy ar- 
rangement of its territorial members, — sufficiently united, 
to resist the severity of war: sufficiently detached, to de- 
feat any rash experiments in peace. 

The fixed annual revenue, at this period, was about two- 
millions ; but, by forfeitures and other means, the national 
income amounted to nearly two-millions-and-a-half. Inter- 
est of money was now reduced to six per cent. 

Tea, coffee, and chocolate, were lately introduced into 
England ; also, asparagus, cauliflower, and a vaiiety of 
other garden vegetables. 

From rather an inauspicious beginning, that orderly and 
respectable religious society, called Quakers, had their 
rise, during the commonwealth. Of this sect, George 
Fox, of Drayton in Lancashire, was the founder. 

The poets of this age, were, Milton, Waller, Southern, 
Cowley, and Denham. Milton, the great author of Para- 
dise Lost, and the successful rival of the Grecian^ Homer, 
■was a zealous advocate of liberty. He was employed by 
Oliver Cromwell, as Latin secretary to the council. Ed- 
mund Waller, nephew of the patriot Hambden, is esteem- 
ed the earliest refiner of English verse; and it is to him we 
are indebted for the present form of our heroic rhyme, in 
couplets. The measure generally used in the days of Eliz- 



154 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

abeth, Jaraes, and Charles the first, was the stanza of eight 
lines, such as Spenser employs, borrowed from the Italian ; 
a measure very constrained and artificial. He was also 
much admired for the force and beauty of his parliamenta- 
ry eloquence. But, in the hour of danger, his timidity al- 
lowed him to betray his party and his friends. Cowley, 
though, in his life time, more praised than even Milton, Ls 
now remarkable only for the display of a despicable taste ; 
which, indeed, then too generally prevailed. Denham, in 
his Cooper's Hill, has given to English rhyme, a loftiness 
and vigour, which it had never before attained. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

RESTORATION^ 

CHARLES THE SECOND. 

1660 — 1685. 

CHARLES the first had roused the indignation of the 
people, by the stubbornness with which he contended for 
unlimited prerogative. His successor deserved their ha- 
tred, for the exercise of equalities, more reproachable to his 
character as an individual, and more injurious to the na- 
tion ; because more perfidious. The father offended througli 
regard to principle: the son, through the odious failing of 
private gratification. Charles, by his degrading compli- 
ance with the Scotch, had already given a specimen of 
his meanness; and his conduct throughout his reign too 
well accorded with that early departure from the true 
firmness of a man. 

Now, in his thirtieth year, he united to the graces of his 
person, a lively wit and sound understanding; but, being 
of a careless disposition, he conferred his favours indis- 
criminately ; without regard to the services of his friends, 
or the injuries of his enemies. Monk, however, was not 
forgotten ; having been created duke of Albemarle ; an hon- 
our, to which, from his previous conduct, he was eminent- 
ly entitled. Sir Edward Hyde, now earl of Clarendon, was 
appointed chancellor and prime minister; and the marquis 
of Ormond, advanced to the dignity of duke, was made 
steward of the household. . 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 155 

All judicial proceedings, transacted in the name of the 
Commonwealth, being ratified by the new government, the 
trials commenced of those who were active in the late revo- 
lution. Charles, before his arrival, had agreed to confine 
his prosecutions to those whom the -parliament should se- 
lect ; and, accordingly, Harrison, Scot, Carew, Jones, and 
Scrope, who sat as judges on the late king, Coke, the soli- 
citor, and a fev/ others, were executed. Their sufferings 
did not interrupt the festivities of the palace. Licentious 
gayety and joy had banished every sentiment of decency or 
humanity. Indeed, the manners of the court were soon 
diffused throughout the kingdom ; so that it is difficult to 
judge, whether the covered vices of the former hypocrisy, 
or the open violations of decorum which succeeded, were 
the most injurious. 

In Scotland, the marquis of Argyle was chosen as a vic- 
tim ; and, though no further criminal than many thousands 
w^ho, also, had participated in the civil wars, he was con- 
demned to die. At his trial, Albemarle produced the pri- 
vate letters of the marquis ; a treacherous proceeding, 
which has excited the indignation of every honourable mind. 

The settlement of Ireland was a work of considerable 
difficulty. Nearly all the valuable lands in that country, 
had been given to those who lent money to the parliament, 
as a means of suppressing the rebellion ; or to the soldiers, 
in payment of arrears. But, to prevent confusion and 
bloodshed, all parties seemed willing to make abatements 
from their claims; and the new holders agreed to relinquish 
a fourth of their possessions. 

A new parliament was now assembled. The 
majority consisted of high-churchmen and royalists. 
Ancient establishments were restored, and efficient meas- 
ures taken to prevent the smallest degree of toleration, to 
all who refused conformance with the liturgy of the court. 
Charles would willingly have dispensed v/ith this severity ; 
not because he cherished the generous principles of indul- 
gence, but, that if he harboured within his breast any feel- 
ings of religion, they inclined towards the Roman Catholic; 
%vhich, by the late regulation, was treated with as little re- 
spect as the presbyterian, or the puritan. On this occasion,- 
upwards of two-thousand clergymen sacrificed their tem- 
poral interest to the dictates of an approving conscience. 

In the ensuing year, the king concluded a bargain, by 
which he received, in marriage, Catherine of Portugal ; 
with a fortune of live-liundred-thousand pounds, and two 
O 2 



156 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ' 

fortresses — Tangier and Bombay. The money produced 
a seasonable relief to his private necessities ; and the for- 
tresses, a eertain expenditure to his affectionate subjects. 
TlTe festivity of the espousals was further enlivened by the 
execution of three regicides ; Berkstead, Cobbet, and Okey : 
who had eluded the former vigilance of parliament. Vane, 
■who had been passed over, fell a sacrifice to the opinions of 
the present parliament ; and, contrary to a positive law, 
suffered the punishment of death. 
1 fifi4. '^ close union with Holland, which, with small 

interruption, had subsisted nearly seventy years, 
■was again broken, in subservience to the views of com- 
merce. The Dutch, by industry and frugality, being ena- 
bled to undersell the English merchants in every market, 
the government now endeavoured to usurp this advantage, 
by the unjust influence of naval superiority. The duke of 
York (himself a member of a commercial company, an ene- 
my to the religion of the Dutch, and an «7«arci^7* of marine 
enterprises) was an active stimulator of this iniquitous 
attack. Sir Robert Holmes was secretly despatched to the 
coast of Africa; where, he seized their shipping and their 
settlements; thence, he steered for America, and took pos- 
session of Nova Belgia, since called New Jersey and New 
York. 

The affairs of the Dutch were conducted by the virtuous 
and celebrated John De Witt ; who lost not a moment in 
retaliation. The British Channel became the scene of fre- 
quent and well contested engagements ; in which, neither 
party could boast of much superiority. The English fleet 
was principally commanded by the duke of York, prince 
Rupert, the earl of Sandwich, Albemarle, Allen, Berkely, 
and Sprague : the Dutch, by De Ruyter, young Tromp, 
son of the famous Tromp, killed in the former war, aided 
by Tnany others of celebrity. The French king, Louis the 
fourteenth, prepared a fleet, and declared in favour of the 
States. In the Channel, an engagement ensued ; in which 
the English, after a contest of four days, gained over the 
combined fleet a decided victory. 

A dreadful plague which occurred in London, 

and, in one year, swept off a hundred-thousand in- 
habitants, was now succeeded by another signal calamity. 
A fire commenced in a baker's shop in that city, and con- 
sumed four-hundred streets; comprising thirteen-thousand 
houses. It has, however, proved beneficial. The old wood- 
en buildings have been replaced by houses of brick or stone. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. isT 

more regularly arranged. But there remains one trace of 
that visitation, which is much to be regretted. The Monu- 
ment, then erected, bears an inscription, falsely imputing 
the destruction to the Catholics.* 

Charles, having received a grant from parliament, of 
nearly two-millions, embraced the first opportunity of end- 
ing hostilities. He had a prospect of small benefit from 
the war, but an urgent occasion for the supply. A peace 
was concluded at Breda; by which, all that England gained 
was Nova Belgia, in return for the blood of her citizens and 
the honour of the crown. 

As it was necessary that some minister should be sacri- 
ficed, to appease the people and the parliament, the earl of 
Clarendon was chosen for the victim. This eminent char- 
acter laboured under the combined hatred of every party. 
By impartiality, he had excited the enmity of the religious 
sects; always jealous of each other: by opposing his licen- 
tiousness, he had caused the displeasure of the king. He 
was, accordingly, banished from the country, and retired 
into France; where he composed his much admired histo- 
ry of the civil wars. 

It was now Louis's turn to attack his defenceless 
neighbours. As he had already overrun the Span- 
ish Netherlands, and it was evident that the States were the 
next object of his ambition, Charles deemed it expedient 
to restrain his advances, and formed a defensive alliance 
with the Dutch. To this, succeeded a change in the ad- 
ministration. All the virtuous ministers were excluded ; 
and the national affairs intrusted to five persons — Clifford, 
Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale ; known 
by the appellation of the Cabal ; a title fonried by the initial 
letters of their names. Of these infamous ministers, lord 
Ashley, afterwards created earl of Shaftsbury, and the duke 
of Buckingham, were the most corrupt. Over this dis- 
honourable cabal, the gold of Louis easily prevailed. Even 
Charles himself became a willing participator in the bribes 
of France. By means of the dutchess of Orleans, who was 
Charles's sister, and the caresses of a handsome mistress, 
which she brought him, he relinquished every principle of 
honour ; and made an arrangement for the destruction of 

* This imputation is repelled by Pope, in the following- couplet •. 

** Where London's column, pointing" to the bkies. 
Like a tall bully, lifts its head, and lies." 



158 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Holland, and the overthrow of the national religion of Eng- 
land. 

The duke of York at this time openly declared 

* himself a Roman Catholic ; which acknowledgment, 
as he was heir apparent to the crown, gave considerable 
alarm. — Sir William Temple, the virtuous ambassador to 
the States of Holland, is, soon afterwards, recalled : every 
insult is offered to the Dutch : a piratical attempt is made 
to intercept their Smyrna fleet ; and, without any ground 
for hostilities, they are involved in war. Louis now pours 
down his forces like a torrent, and enters their strong towns 
in rapid succession. But the States, having appointed the 
young prince of Orange to command their armies, he, as- 
sisted by the Imperialists, drives the haughty Louis, with 
precipitation, from all his conquests — A change in the Eng- 
lish ministry soon followed. Shaftesbury was dismissed, and 
sir Heneage Finch appointed chancellor, in his place. To 
this, succeeded a separate peace with Holland ; and an ad- 
journment of the parliament. 

When the legislature was again assembled, the commons, 
in appropriating the supplies, evinced an open distrust of 
the king; and displayed the utmost jealousy of the duke of 
York, as well as of all who professed a similar religion. 
This body was now divided into the court and the country 
party. Into the former, some were enlisted by offices and 
bribes ; but many acted entirely from principle. To the 
country party, several, likewise, were attached by private 
views, or by faction ; but numbers had no other object than 
the public good. 

In the midst of those violent contentions, which again 
threatened the nation with civil wars, the cry of a plot re- 
sounded in the city ; and soon spread its baneful influence 
throughout the kingdom. The detail, or even the mention 
of an occurrence, at once so puerile and absurd, though 
producing effects so sanguinary and disgraceful, we should 
willingly omit ; but, that the recital may be, hereafter, use- 
ful, in guarding against blind credulity and intolerance.— 
w Whilst the king was walking in the Park, he was 

* accosted by one Kirby, a chemist: "Sir," said he, 
<■< keep within your company : your enemies have a de- 
sign upon your life : you may be shot in this very walk." 
Being asked the reason of this strange address, Kirby re- 
plied, that two men, called Grove and Pickering, had en- 
gaged to shoot him ; and that sir George Wakeman, the 
queen's physician, had undertaken to poison him. An in- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 159 

quiry was instituted. This brought forward many atro- 
cious ruffians ; amongst whom, none were so highly infa- 
mous as Titus Gates and William Bedloe ; men who had 
been guilty of almost every crime in the catalogue of hu- 
man vices. Gates said, that he had been employed by the 
Jesuits : that he had received three blows with a stick and 
a box on the ear, from the provincial of that order, for hav- 
ing revealed their conspiracy ; and, dreading a still severer 
punishment, had concealed himself, and nearly perished for 
want of bread : that the pope had declared himself entitled 
to the possession of England and Ireland, on account of the 
heresy of prince and people ; that new crown officers and 
churchm.en were appointed ; and immense preparations 
made for invasion : that four assassins, at twenty guineas a 
piece, were employed to stab the king ; and that Coleman, 
secretary to the late dutchess of York, had given the mes- 
senger who carried them the orders, a guinea^ to quicken 
his diligence. 

After this, the city prepared for defence, as if an enemy 
were at the gates ; which induced sir Thomas Player, the 
chamberlain, to exclaim, that were it not for such precau- 
tions, all the citizens might rise next morni^ig with their 
throats cut. 

Sir George Wakeman and Coleman, with many others, 
were brought to trial. The former was acquitted ; but 
Coleman, and several more, were found guilty and exe- 
cuted. Two years afterwards, the venerable loi*^ Staffi)rd, 
a catholic nobleman, who had been confined as a participa- 
tor in this pretended conspiracy, was impeached by the 
house of lords; by whom, after a trial of six days, he was 
pronounced guilty. In all these cases, the witnesses were 
the most profligate of the human race : their testimony was 
contradicted, not only by themselves, but by the clearest 
evidence on the part of the accused ; and, still further, by 
the solemn declarations of the unfortunate sufferers, at the 
place of execution. 

Charles now found it expedient to dissolve the parlia- 
ment. It had existed, without any general election of the 
commons, since the second year of his reign ; a period of 
seventeen years; guided, rather by the impulse of party 
violence, than the dispassionate influence of patriotic integ- 
rity. But, in the following year, he was constrained to 
summon a new legislature. Besides, that he might, in some 
measure, appease the national ferment, he desired his 
brother to withdraw to the Continent; to which request. 



160 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the duke readily consented. But Charles found the present 
parliament, particularly the lower house, more refractory 
than even the former. In concert, therefore, with sir Wil- 
liam Temple, a new council was formed ; into which, were 
admitted, many of those statesmen who enjoyed the confi- 
dence of the people; and the king declared, that without 
their advice, he would not transact any business of import- 
ance. The earls of Essex and Sunderland, viscount Hali- 
fax, and Temple, formed the cabinet ; and, contrary to 
the remonstrance of the latter, Shaftesbury, who, after the 
dissolution of the Cabal, had espoused, with violence, the 
popular side, was made president of the privy council. In 
the house of commons, a bill Avas passed, by a large ma- 
jority, for totally excluding the duke from the crown ; but 
it did not become a law. Soon afterwards, the two houses, 
having a most violent altercation as to their respective 
privileges, the king, without advising with his council, dis- 
solved the parliament. 

, „Q By the tyrannical conduct of Lauderdale and the 
duke of York, the people in Scotland were at length 
driven to open rebellion. Though prelacy had been abol- 
ished, and the presbyterian form of worship established 
there, soon after the reformation ; yet, an exact compli- 
ance with the episcopal form of worship was now enforced 
with so rigorous and severe penalties, that the people 
rose in arms, and put to death the archbishop of St. An- 
drews. English soldiers were dispersed over the country, 
and power Avas given to all commissioned officers to com- 
pel every one they met to take a prescribed oath ; and in- 
stantly to shoot any person that refused. Three women, 
who declared they would not take it, were condemned to a 
capital punishment, by drowning. One of these was an 
elderly woman, the other two were young: one of the lat- 
ter was eighteen years of age ; the other, only thirteen. 
Even these violent persecutors were ashamed to put the 
youngest to death : but the other two were tied to stakes, 
within the sea-mark, at low water ; a contrivance, which 
rendered their death lingering and dreadful. The elderly 
•woman was placed the farthest in, and, by the rising of the 
waters, was first drowned. The younger, partly terrified 
by the view of her companion's death, partly overcome by 
the entreaties of her friends, was prevailed on to say God 
sa-ue the king. Immediately, she was loosened from the 
stake : but, the officer who guarded the execution, having 
again required her to take the oath, on her refusal, he or- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 161 

(lercd her instantly to be plunged into the water ; where 
she was held until every sign of life was extinct. 

To quell the insurrection in Scotland, the king despatch- 
ed a body of troops, under the duke of Monmouth. This 
popular nobleman, a member of the established church, 
who makes a conspicuous figure in the history of that age, 
was a natural son of the king, and by the intrigues of the 
earl of Shaftesbury, was inspired with the hope of succeed- 
ing to the crown. Monmouth encountered the Scottish 
malcontents at Bothwel-Bridge, between Hamilton and 
Glasgow; and soon put them to flight. — Shortly afterwards, 
the king, being dangerously ill, was visited by the duke of 
York ; at whose suggestions, Monmouth was sent out of 
the kingdom. 

. At this time, there was summoned another par- 

liament; which, for the greater security of the king 
and his adherents, against the violence of the people, was 
ordered to meet at Oxford. The country party had lately 
received the name of Whigs; the court faction that of 
Tories ; and mutual animosity rose to so alarming a height, 
that the king thought it expedient again to dissolve them. 

There is the same difterence between the whigs and the 
tories, as subsisted between the plebeians and the patrici- 
ans of ancient Rome. The latter would have conferred all 
power, honours, and riches, upon a few individuals, whilst 
the great body of the people were kept in a state of pover- 
ty and dependence : the former wished to preserve as much 
equality amongst the different ranks of men, as is consist- 
ent with the ends of civil government. 

During the latter part of his reign, Charles continued to 
rule without parliaments, and proceeded to invade, with- 
out fear or remorse, the most valuable privileges of his 
subjects. He deprived the city of London, and most of 
the corporations in England, of their charters ; and, though 
these were afterwards restored, yet, it was on conditions so 
precarious, that the rights of the people were left entirely 
at the king's mercy. 

.^ There was nov/ formed a regular project of in- 

surrection. A council of six was erected; consist- 
ing of Monmouth, Russel, Essex, Algernon Sydney, lord 
Howard, and John Hambden, grandson of the great par- 
liamentary leader. These men differed extremely in their 
views. Essex and Sydney were advocates for a common- 
wealth : Russel and Hambden aimed only at the exclusion 
of the duke of York : lord Howard was a man of no princi- 



i62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

pie ; and Monmouth intended to acquire the crown for 
himself. Notwithstanding this discordance, their common 
hatred of the duke of York united them into one party. 
There was also an inferior order of conspirators, whose 
meetings were called the Rye House Plot ; which, in addi- 
tion to the insurrection, carried on other schemes, unknown 
to the former. Through the treachery of some of these 
subordinates, intelligence was given to government. Mon- 
mouth absconded : Russel, Essex, Sydney, Hambden, and 
Howard, were arrested. Russel and Sydney, both eminent 
for their virtues, suffered death, from the i'jSdelity of How- 
ard, and the violence and inhumanity of chief justice Jef- 
feries ; wdio prevailed on a partial jury to give a verdict 
contrary to the evidence. Hambden was fined forty-thou- 
sand pounds : Essex was found dead in prison ; having, ac- 
cording to the inquest, committed suicide. 

It was supposed by some, that the king had at 
length determined to dismiss his obnoxious minis- 
ters, and throw himself on the affection of his subjects. But, 
amidst these virtuous designs, (which, it is probable, he 
never did entertain,) he was seized with an apoplexy; that, 
in a few days, carried him off, in the fifty-fifth year of his 
age, and the twenty-fifth of his reign. 

On his death-bed, he received the sacrament from a Ro- 
man Catholic clergyman. 

In 1671, an officer Vv^ho had served in Cromwell's army, 
named Blood, had nearly succeeded in carrying off the 
crown and other regalia, from the Tower. He had wound- 
ed and bound Edwards, the keeper of the jewel-office, and 
had escaped from that fortress with his prey, when he was 
overtaken and seized. This man had, a little before, been 
concerned in an attempt much more criminal, and nearly 
as hazardous. Having been attainted in Ireland for en- 
deavouring to raise an insurrection there, and some of his 
accomplices having been capitally punished, he determined 
to be revenged upon the duke of Ormond, the lord lieuten- 
ant. Having, by artifice, drawn off the duke's footman, he 
attacked his coach, as it drove in the night-time, through 
St. James' Street in London; and made himself master of 
his person. He might here have finished his crime, had 
he not meditated refinement in his revenge. He resolved 
to hang the duke at Tyburn, the place for executing the 
vilest criminals ; and, for that purpose, he bound him, and 
mounted him on horse-back, behind one of his companions. 
They were advanced some distance into the fields, when the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 163 

duke succeeded in throwing himself to the ground, and 
brought down with him the assassin to whom he was fast- 
ened. They were struggling together in the mire, when 
the duke's servants, whom the alarm had now reached, came 
up, and saved him ; and Blood, with his companions, firing 
their pistols in a hurry at the duke, rode off, and saved them- 
selves by means of the darkness. 

Blood having been soon afterwards imprisoned, the king 
was moved, by an idle curiosity, to see and speak with a 
person so noted for his courage and his crimes. Blood 
might now^ esteem himself secure of a pardon. Charles 
bestowed upon him an estate of four-hundred pounds a year; 
encouraged his attendance about his person ; and, whilst old 
Edwards, who had bravely ventured his life in defending 
the regalia, was neglected and forgotten, this man, who de- 
served to be detested as a monster, became a kind of fa- 
vourite. 

On the restoration, the king consented to turn all the 
military tenures, established at the Conquest, (with only one 
exception) into what is called socage, or payment of a com- 
mon rent, in consideration of a settled revenue ; and thus, 
the feudal system was abolished, though many of the rules 
of English law, founded on its principles, still retain their 
force. Many other salutary changes were extorted from 
this tyrannical sovereign. Besides having their lands de- 
livered from the slavery of military tenures, his subjects 
had their bodies freed from arbitrary imprisonment, by the 
Habeas Corpus act ; and their minds from the tyranny of 
superstitious bigotry, by the abolition of the law for burning 
heretics ; the last badge of persecution in the English law. 

It is said, that Andrew Marvell, a member for Hull in 
this reign, was the last person in England that received 
wages from his constituents. Two shillings a day, the al- 
lowance to a burgess, was so considerable a sum in ancient 
times, that there are many instances in which the boroughs 
petitioned to be excused from sending members to parlia- 
ment ; and, it is remarkable, that from about the middle of 
Edward the third's reign, to the end of Henry the fourth's, 
the sheriff of Lancashire returned as an excuse, ^' that there 
are not any cities or boroughs within the county of Lan- 
caster, out of which any citizens or burgesses ought or are 
used to go to the said parliament ; nor can they, by reason 
of their inability and poverty."* 

* "Non sunt aliqui civitates sen burq-i infra com Itatem Lancastrix, 
P 



164 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Immediately after the Restoration, Wilkins, bishop of 
Chester, brother-in-law of Cromwell, w^ith a few other men 
of philosophical taste, established the Royal Society of Lon- 
don. But, to this institution, Charles contributed only his 
countenance ; for, though he was a great admirer of the 
sciences, his courtiers and his mistresses kept him so ex- 
tremely poor, that he was unable to give pecuniary assist- 
ance. In this reign, was enacted, the first law for estab- 
lishing turnpikes : sea-signals were invented by the duke 
of York ; and a charter was granted to the Hudson's Bay 
Company. 

The poets, who properly fall under our present division, 
are, Butler, and Cotton; Dryden, Otway, and Roscommon. 
Samuel Butler was author of the celebrated satirical poem 
of Hudibras ; the action of which is laid in the time of 
Cromwell. The hero is a fanatical justice of the peace ; 
who, through the confidence of authority, and the impulse 
of zealous ignorance, ranges the country, to repress super- 
stition, correct abuses, and prevent the exercise of inno- 
cent amusement. Cotton wrote an amusing travestie of 
the iEneid. — Scarcely any man has employed his pen so 
variously as Dryden : he was a critic, and a dramatist ; a 
modernizer of obsolete literature, and a translator. As a 
poet, he was either serious, satirical, or encomiastic ; equal- 
ly ready to praise the dark hypocrisy of Cromwell, or the 
open licentiousness of Charles. His most esteemed work 
is his translation of Virgil. — Otway, whose principal talent 
lay in moving the passions, has afforded the admirers of 
the tragic drama a rich feast, in his Orphan, and in his 
Venice Preserved. — Wentworth Dillon, earl of Roscom- 
mon, has left some fine translations from the Latin ; amongst 
which, Horace's Art of Poetry is thought to be the best. 
Dennis is celebrated as a critic; Wycherley, as a contribu- 
tor to the comic drama; and Bunyan, for his Pilgrim's Pro- 
gress. The Oriental languages were indefatigably studied 
by Dr. Thomas Hyde. Antiquities employed the indus- 
trious Ware, Skinner, and sir William Dugdalc. Mathe- 
matics were attended with increasing ardour : James Greg- 
ory and Hobbes, Wallis, and John Flamsteed, rivaled the 
most illustrious philosophers of the European continent. 
Gregory was the inventor of the reflecting telescope ; and 

de quibus aliqui cives vel burgenses addictum parliamentum venire 
debent seu solent ; nee possunt, propter eorum debilitatem el pauper-^ 
tatem.'' 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 165 

Flamsteecl, for his extensive discoveries, was appointed as- 
tronomer at Greenwich ; the observatory having been raised 
under his directions. 

Sir Matthew Hale, chief justice of the king's bench, was 
a highly respected character, and wrote on a variety of sub- 
jects. Of his several works, the *' Pleas of the Crown,'* 
and the " Original Institution, Power, and Jurisdiction of 
Parliaments," are the most deserving of attention. In his 
time, the judges were not so attentive as at the present day, 
in preserving a clear conscience ; but this great lawyer form- 
ed an amiable contrast to the votaries of corruption. In 
one of his circuits, a gentleman, who had a trial at the as- 
sizes, sent him a buck for his table. When sir Matthew 
heard his name called, he asked, if he was not the same 
person who had sent him the venison ; and finding that he 
was, he told him, that he could not suffer the trial to go on 
until he paid him for his buck. It was accordingly paid 
for ; and the gentleman withdrew his record. 

In consideration of admiral Penn's services, the king, in 
the year 1681, granted to that officer's son, William, the 
power of colonizing the great tract of country, called, after 
the admiral, Pennsylvania. 

A remarkable instance of longevity had been shown in 
the reign of Charles I ; when, Thomas Parr, a labouring 
man of Yorkshire, who had lived in ten reigns, completed 
one-hundred-and-sixty years; and James Bowels of Killings- 
worth, died in the time of the Commonwealth, at the great 
age of a hundred-and-fifty-two. But a still more uncommon 
length of years was attained by Henry Jenkins, of Yorkshires 
who died in 1670; having completed one-hundred-and-six- 
ty-nine. 

REVOLUTION. 

JAMES THE SECOND. 

1685 — 1689. 

The late king, not having had any legitimate children, 
was succeeded by his only brother, James, duke of York. 
Unfortunately for himself, and for the empire, he professed 
a religion different from that of the established church ; the 
members of which, in England, together with the presby- 
terians, outnumbered the Roman Catholics in the propor- 
tion of one-hundred to one. 



166 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

No declarations could appear more fair, than those which 
the king made on assembling- the comicil. "It has been 
reported," he said, " that ! have imbibed tyrannical princi- 
ples : but I am determined never to violate the laws of Eng- 
land. They are sufficient to make me as great a monarch as 
I can wish ; and I shaii, as heretofore, venture my life, in de- 
fence of the nation, and its just liberties and rights." 

Amongst the numerous addresses, which James received 
from his subjects, the congratulation of the Quakers is a 
little singular. " We are come," said they, <'to testify our 
sorrow for the death of our good friend, Charles, and our 
joy for thy being made our governor. We are told, that 
thou art not of the persuasion of the church of England, no 
more than we. Wherefore, we hope thou wilt grant us 
the same liberty which thou ailowest thyself: wliich doing, 
we wish thee all manner of happiness." 

Soon, however, the public suspicion was realized. He 
issued orders for illegally collecting duties ; despatched to 
Rome an agent, to make submissions to the pope ; and re- 
ceived from liim a nuncio, though, by so doing, he infringed 
an established law. He recalled the dukeof Ormond from 
the government of Ireland ; and, in his place, appointed 
Talbot, earl of Tyrconnel; who carried over with him, as 
chancellor, one 1 itton ; a man who was taken from a jail ; 
who had been convicted of forgery and other crimes ; and 
who, as well as Tyrconnel, was chosen merely on account of 
his great zeal for the religion of his master. The officers 
and soldiers, in that kingdom, who professed the reformed 
religion, were disbanded ; stripped of their clothing, and 
turned out upon the public. In every department, through- 
out the empire, men were appointed to official duties with- 
out having taken the legal test. Corporations were de- 
prived of their charters, parliamentary elections, in many 
places, were made by the sole authority of the king; and, 
still further, the parliament itself was threatened with the 
royal prerogative, in case of opposition to his wishes. 

The satisfaction which James enjoyed by these oppres- 
sions, was suddenly interrupted. The duke of Monmouth, 
having procured a few ships in Holland, arrived at Lime, 
in Dorsetshire; and, alleging that his mother had been mar- 
ried to Charles the second, openly declared himself the le- 
gitimate heir of the English throne. Though, on landing, 
he had scarcely one-hundred followers ; yet, so great was 
his popularity, that, in a few days, upwards of six-thousanel 
men crowded to his standard. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 167 

To check his progress, three-thousand well disciplined 
troops, under tlie command of the earl of Feversham and 
lord Churchill, (afterwards duke of Marlborough) were sent 
forward by the king. At Sedgemoor, near Bridgewater, a 
battle ensued. Great bravery was displayed by the coun- 
try forces; but, through the bad generalship of Monmouth, 
and the cowardice of lord Gray, who commanded the cav- 
alry, they were defeated. Monmouth fled from the field 
of battle, until his horse sunk, exhausted b^ fatigue. He 
then changed clothes with a peasant ; and, at last, was found, 
covered over with fern, in the bottom of a ditch — his body 
emaciated by hunger ; his mind depressed by the recollec- 
tion of the past, and the prospect of the future. Soon, 
however, this unhappy nobleman ended his career upon the 
scaffold. He warned the executioner not to fall into the 
error which he had committed in beheading lord Russei ; 
when it had been necessary to repeat the blow. But, this 
precaution served only to dismay him. He made a feeble 
stroke at Monmouth, who raised his head from the block, 
and looked him in the face, as if reproaching him with his 
failure. He gently laid dovn\ his head a second time ; and 
the executioner struck him again and again, without effect. 
He then threw aside the axe, and cried out that he was in- 
capable of finishing the bloody office. But the sheriff com- 
pelled him to renew the attempt; and, at two strokes more, 
his head was severed from his body. 

Had Monmouth's design succeeded, the miseries of the 
nation would have been increased ; not alleviated. Expe- 
rience has shown, that it is a bad remedy to exchange ty- 
ranny for usurpation. 

The attempts of the marquis of Argyle, who, in concert 
with Monmouth, had landed in Scotland, were equally un- 
successful. That nobleman, who, after being condemned 
in the preceding reign, had escaped into Holland, was now 
taken prisoner, and executed. 

The edict of Nantz, which Henry the fourth had enacted 
in favour of the protestants, was, by the impolicy of Louis, 
revoked ; and, in consequence, above half a million, of his 
most mdustrious subjects, deserted France ; nearly fifty- 
thousand of whom arrived in England. This measure of 
the French king, whilst it established, in Great Britain, 
many of his most valuable manufactures, especially silk, 
served to increase the general apprehensions for the national 
religion. Another event, too, occurred, which pro- 
duced a considerable sensation. This was, the birth 
P 2 



168 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

of a royal heir ; who received the usual title of prince of 
Wales. 

National grievances were now at their greatest height. 
The appellation of whig or tory was no longer heard. All 
lovers of their country joined to throw off the oppressive 
burthen, and applied to the prince of Orange for assistance. 
The bishop of London, the earls of Danby, Nottingham, 
Devonshire, and Dorset ; the duke of Norfolk, the marquis 
of Halifax, the lords Lovelace, Delamare, Paulet, and 
Eland ; Messrs. Hambden, Powle, and Lester ; besides ma- 
ny eminent citizens of London — all these persons, though 
of opposite parties, concurred in the application. 

William, prince of Orange, was a maternal grandson of 
Charles the hrst, and a maternal nephew and son-in-law of 
James ; having been married, in the late reign, to the prin- 
cess Mary. 

With the utmost secrecy and expedition, the prince pre- 
pared a fleet of five-hundred vessels, and an army of four- 
teen-thousand men ; M'ith which, he sailed from Helvoet- 
Sluys, and arrived safely in Torbay. All England was soon 
in commotion. In a few days, the greater part of the Eng- 
lish army had gone over to him. James, agitated and alarm- 
ed, determined to escape to France ; and sent off, before him, 
the queen and the infant prince. He himself, accompani- 
ed only by sir Edward Hales, ^.disappeared in the night; 
and, having thrown the great seal of England into the 
Thames, endeavoured to reach a ship which waited for him 
near the mouth of the river. But, being seized by the po- 
pulace at Feversham, he was taken back to London. 

All now was anarchy and suspense. The Dutch guards 
took possession of the palace; and the king, deserted by his 
friends, and despised by his enemies, was suffered quietly 
to withdraw. He embarked at Rochester; and thence pro- 
ceeded to Ambleteuse, in France. — Thus, was the deliver- 
ance of England effected ; and with very little effusion of 
blood : as only a few soldiers were killed, in an accidental 
skirmish. 

For the purpose of settling the government, a 
convention was assembled. It consisted of all the 
members who had sat in the house of commons, during any 
of the parliaments of Charles the second ; as those of James 
were not legally appointed : also, the mayor, aldermen, and 
fifty of the common council of London. They made the 
following declaration ; which received the concurrence of 
the peers. « That, king James the second, having endeav- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 169 

ouved to subvert the constitution of the kingdom, by break- 
ing the original contract between king and people ; and 
having, by the advice of wicked counsellors, violated the 
fundamental laws, and withdrawn himself out of the king- 
dom, has abdicated the government; and that the throne 
is thereby vacant." 

A bill was then passed, which excluded Roman Catho- 
lics from the regal office, and settled the crown on the 
prince and princess of Orange and her issue ; the sole ad- 
ministration to remain in the prince ; after their death, on 
the princess Anne, second daughter of king James, and 
wife of prince George of Denmark, and her issue ; and 
lastly, on the heirs of the prince himself. 

To this settlement, was annexed, a Declaration of Rights ; 
in which, all those matters, between the king and the peo- 
ple, so often the subjects of dispute, were finally determin- 
ed ; and, thus, the royal prerogative was more narrowly 
circumscribed than at any former period of the English 
government. 

James was twice married : first, to Anne Hyde, daugh- 
ter of the earl of Clarendon ; and afterw^ards to Maria 
Josepha, sister of the duke of Modena. By his first queen, 
who was of the protestant faith, he had eight children ; two 
only of whom were at this time living — Mary, married to 
the prince of Orange, and Anne, the consort of prince 
George of Denmark. By his second, who was a Roman 
Catholic, he had five children ; of whom, there was now 
alive one son, James, prince of Wales. 

The national debt, at the revolution, amounted to about 
a million sterling: the fleet consisted of one-hundrcd-and- 
seventy vessels, and required forty-two-thousand men. 



CHAPTER XV. 
WILLIAM AND MARY. 

1689 — ir02. 

THE principal ministers, at this time, were, the earls of 
Nottingham and Shrewsbury, the marquis of Halifax, and 
Bentinck, created earl of Portland; who was the greatest 
favourite of the king. In religious affairs, William was a 
man of considerable moderation ; and, being a presbyterian, 



;70 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

naturally used his influence with parliament, to obtain, ibf 
all sects of dissenters from the established church, some 
degree of toleration ; in which, he was successful. That he 
%vould have extended to the Roman Catholics the same 
protection, we have just reason to believe ; but the ferment 
then existing in England, would have rendered abortive 
every exertion in their favour. 

In Scotland, the duke of Hamilton, and all the presby- 
terians, declared for William : the duke of Gordon, and 
his friends, held out in favour of their old master. At 
length, a smart engagement ensued, at the pass of Killy- 
crankie, in Perthshire ; where, the Highlanders, headed 
by lord Dundee, defeated the English under general Mac- 
kay. In this battle, twelve-hundred of the latter were kill- 
ed : but Dundee having fallen, the affairs of his party, 
thenceforward, went to ruin ; and, in a short time, all the 
clans submitted to the English. 

Ireland, the population of which was then, as it is now, 
mostly Roman Catholic, maintained allegiance to the exil- 
ed monarch ; affording him a flattering prospect of success. 
Having therefore received from the king of France every 
assistance that such an expedition required, James, ac- 
companied by a splendid retinue, sailed from Brest ; and 
arrived, on the 22nd of March, at Kinsale. In a few days 
afterwards, he made a public entry into Dublin. Then, 
having summoned a parliament to meet in the ensuing 
May, he departed for the north, and took his post before 
the walls of Derry. 

This city, being an English settlement, resolved to de- 
fend itself to the last, against king James ; and maintained 
one of the most obstinate sieges that history records. De- 
serted by the commander, who saw no probability of suc- 
cess, the townsmen chose for their governors, George 
Walker, rector of Donaghmore, and major Baker. Their 
situation was deplorable. Their fortifications were only 
trifling : their cannon, which did not exceed twenty pieces, 
were badly mounted : they had not one engineer to direct 
their operations ; and were besieged by a king, in person, 
at the head of a formidable army, with experienced ofii- 
cers, and every engine either for a siege or battle. After 
being many times repulsed, James returned to Dublin ; 
having left the comm.and to the French general, Rosene. 
This officer disgraced his memory, by his subsequent be- 
haviour in the siege ; having acted in the most barbarous 
manner, contrary even to the express orders of his employ- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, in 

er. The garrison, for want of food, were now reduced to 
extremity; but an English frigate, having broken the boom 
which had been laid across the river, brought them a joy- 
ful relief; and the besiegers abandoned the attack; after 
losing before the place nine-thousand men. 

By the inattention of the English administration, James 
had been six months in Ireland before an army was sent 
over to oppose him. In the month of August, duke Schom- 
berg, with ten-thousand men, landed near Carrickfergus ; 
of which place, he got possession, and, subsequently, of Bel- 
fast, Newry, and Dundalk : but, in the neighbourhood of 
the latter, he remained encamped, upon low, swampy 
ground, until half his army fell victims to a contagious dis- 
order. 

Q In the middle of June, William himself, attended 

' by prince George of Denmark, the duke of Ormond, 
the earl of Stair, and many more persons of distinction, 
landed at Carrickfergus. Thence, he proceeded for Bel- 
fast ; where he was met by Schomberg. Having rested 
there for a few days, he passed through Lisburn and Hills- 
borough, to Loughbrickland ; where, on reviewing his army, 
he found that it amounted to thirty-six-thousand effective 
men. He then marched to Dundalk ; and, taking the road 
through Ardee, arrived on the left bank of the Boyne, about 
three miles above Drogheda. On the opposite bank, 
James was prepared to oppose him; with an army compos- 
ed of Irish and French, nearly equal in number to his ad- 
versary's. The ground on which James's army stood, was 
much exposed to the fire of his enemy. Rising gradually 
from the river, it forms an inclined plane, receding about 
two miles ; so that every shot from the other side must 
take effect : and its bank offers to an assailant not the 
smallest natural obstruction. William had every advan- 
tage that a general could demand. The bank upon which 
he stood is elevated at least twenty feet above the river, 
presenting, along its entire front, a commanding battery. 
From this, his cannon could play upon the enemy, directly 
over the heads of his own men, during the crossing of the 
river ; which, with little difficulty, is fordable. On his right, 
there winded a deep ravine, which extended to the Boyne, 
and afforded a cover to the troops, when approaching to the 
attack. William, when he had leisure to view from this 
situation the surrounding country, delighted with its beau- 
ty and fertility, exclaimed — " This, indeed, is a kingdom 
-worthy of a battle." 



ir2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

In the morning, at six o'clock, general Douglas, with 
the younger Schomberg and the earl of Portland, marched 
towards Slane bridge ; and, with little opposition, passed 
the river. The Irish troops then faced about, and hastily 
retreated to Duleek. At this moment, king William's main 
body, consisting principally of the Dutch guards and some 
battalions of English, crossed the river, under a general 
discharge of artillery. The elder Schomberg, who led on 
the attack, being killed by the fire of his own men, the 
battle was for some time doubtful ; but William, having 
gone over with his left wing, after a hard contested action, 
gained a complete victory. 

In this memorable engagement, the French and Swiss 
auxiliaries sustained the contest with intrepidity and per- 
severance ; but the Irish displayed none of that undaunted 
bravery, which has covered them with glory when abroad. 
James, who remained during the action on the hill of Dun- 
more, which overlooked the field of battle, retreated through 
Dublin, to Waterford. There, he embarked; and, in a few 
days, arrived in France. 

At the scene of action, upon a small projecting rock on 
the left bank of the Boyne, there is erected a handsome 
obelisk, with an inscription commemorative of his defeat. 

But William met a severe repulse at Limerick. This 
place was commanded by Boisseleau; who, ably assisted 
by colonel Sarsfield, drove the king from before its walls, 
with considerable loss. After this, he embarked at Dun- 
cannon, and returned to England. His affairs, however, 
were soon retrieved. Marlborough having arrived in Ire- 
land, in a few days reduced the towns of Cork and Kinsale. 
At Athlone and Aughrim, the adherents of James werfc 
equally unfortunate. General Ginckel, having taken the 
former, proceeded to Aughrim ; where, after a most gal- 
lant resistance by the French general, St. Ruth, who was 
killed in the action, the Irish army were overthrown. They 
then retreated to Limerick, resolved to make there a final 
stand; in the hope of receiving from France succours suffi- 
cient to restore their affairs, or of obtaining favourable 
terms from the court of England. 

, -Q. , Limerick was now the only place of importance 
unsubdued. It was invested by general Ginckel ; 
who, after a severe bombardment, forced it to capitulate ; 
and, on the fourth of October, the articles of surrender 
were completed. This celebrated treaty extended to all 
places in the kingdom, that were yet in the hands of the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. \7J 

Irish : it restored to the Roman Catholics, the same de- 
gree of religious liberty, enjoyed by them in the reign of 
Charles the second ; and their estates, privileges, and im- 
munities. It allowed the inhabitants of all the garrisons 
to remove their goods, without search, or payment of duty j 
and all who were inclined, to leave the kingdom, and settle 
in any country, except England or Scotland. In conse- 
quence, twelve-thousand men emigrated to France; where, 
James thanked them for their loyalty, and assured them, 
that the French king had already given orders for their re- 
ception. 

To dwell upon the numerous conspiracies in England, 
which successively kept the nation in alarm : to carry our 
readers over that extensive field upon the Continent, in 
which the ambition of the king of France was combated, 
with various fortune, by the bravery of William and his al- 
lies; or to detail the numerous operations of the contending 
navies ; would produce neither interest, nor pleasure, nor 
admiration. We can feel no interest in conspiracies, of 
which the agents and the effects are alike forgotten : no 
pleasure in the recital of massacre and ruin ; nor admiration 
in the review of sea-fights, not conspicuous for a display 
either of heroism or skill. Of all the admirals, the most 
prominent character was Rooke : the most remarkable 
sieges were those of Namur. This place, situated at the 
confluence of the Mease and Sambre, was besieged by Louis 
the fourteenth, at the head of one-hundred-and-twenty-thou- 
sand men ; and taken, in sight of king William's army, af- 
ter an obstinate resistance. Though, however, Vauban the 
celebrated engineer, had exhausted his whole art in its de- 
fence, it was retaken by the allied forces, under William's 
command. 

In the preceding year, the queen was seized with the 
small pox ; which caused her death, in the thirty-third year 
©f her age. 

After a tedious and sanguinary contest, peace was 
concluded at Ryswick, in Holland. From this pe- 
riod, nothing claiming particular attention, occurred, until 
the death of James ; which happened at St. Germains, in 
four years after that of his daughter Mary. Contrary to 
an article in the treaty of Ryswick, Louis proclaimed the 
prince of Wales, James's son, king of England ; which ac- 
knowledgment, in the course of time, produced important 
consequences. 



1-4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

In the following spring, the bustling life of the 
* martial William closed. When he had reached the 
fifty-second year of his age, and the fourteenth of his reign, 
he exchanged the gaudy trappings of the soldier, for the 
plain habiliments of the tomb. This prince was of the mid- 
dle stature : he had an aquiline nose, and sparkling eyes. 
In the palace, he was unplcasmg and reserved : in battle, 
free, spirited, and cheerful. 

In this reign, the linen manufacture of Ireland was pro- 
moted, and the Bank of England established; the notes of 
which, owing to the public distress arising from the im- 
mense expenses of the war, were, for a while, twenty per 
cent, below their nominal value. About the same time, 
•commenced also in England, the system of private banking ; 
before which, all money transactions were managed by the 
goldsmiths. 

The celebrated Peter the Great of Russia at this time 
visited England ; and attended chiefly to acquiring the art 
of ship-building. 

William had the honour of employing in his service, those 
two transcendent luminaries of science — sir Isaac Newton, 
and John Locke. Of all the philosophers, or mathemati- 
cians, that the world ever produced, sir Isaac Newton was 
the greatest. He was born at Woolsthorp, near Grantham, 
in Lincolnshire, in 1642, and died in 1726, in the eighty -fifth 
year of his age; universally admired for his amiable dispo- 
sition. His great works are, his Mathematical Principles 
of Natural Philosophy, his Optics, and his Fluxions ; of 
which science, he was the inventor. If we say that Locke, 
as a profound philosopher, has had no superior, except" 
Newton, we accord with the general opinion. Flis most 
celebrated performance is the Essay on Fluman Under- 
•standing. 

Robert Boyle was one of the most illustrious and virtu- 
ous men that ever employed their lives in the development 
of nature. His completion of the air-pump, in which he was 
aided by the mechanical genius of the astronomer, Hooke, 
deserves recording : though it is a very small portion of his 
successful labours. Halley, also, and David, nephew of James, 
Gregory, were accomplished mathematicians : Anthony 
Ashley Cooper, lord Shaftesbury, grandson of the infamous 
member of the Cabal, reflected lustre upon his title, by his 
devotion to the cause of freedom, and by his admirable 
" Characteristics :" nor can too much veneration be admit- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND). 175 

ted for sir John Holt ; a lawyer, as bold and patriotic in the 
senate, as he was learned and incorruptible on the bench. 

Dr. Tillotson was archbishop of Canterbury ; and Burnetj 
who wrote the History of the Reformation, enjoyed the sec 
of Salisbury. 

This, and the succeeding reign, are conspicuous for their 
poetical productions. The poets of this period were. Pom* 
fret, Garth, Lee, Prior, Co^igrcve, and sir Richard Black- 
n:iore. The best written of the first mentioned, is his 
<' Choice ;" a work which has been as much read as almost 
any in our language. Garth was a patron of learning, was 
distinguished for his own literature, his knowledge of medi- 
cine ; and, still more, for his exertions in favour of the poor. 
He is the author of the Dispensary ; a poem written prin* 
cipally to defend the utility of assisting the needy with me- 
dicine and advice. Prior was lirst brought into notice by 
his City Mouse and Country Mouse, written, in conjunction 
wilh Mr. IMontague, (afterwards lord Halifax.) to ridicule 
Drydeirs Hind and Panther. This procured its authors 
speedy |;referment at court. As a diplomatist. Prior's abili- 
ties were of the first order; and he was employed in the 
most diflicult negotiations. One day, whilst surveying the 
royal apartments at Versailles, being shown the Victories 
of Louis, painted by Le Brun, and being asked, v/hether 
the king of England's palace had any decorations of that 
kind : " The monuments of my master's actions," he repli- 
ed, " are to be seen every where but in his own house." — 
Congreve is to be considered as a dramatic writer ; in which 
line, he was highly distinguished. His best productions, 
are, his Old Bachelor, and Mourning Bride. But the gene- 
ral tenor of his plays, in common with nearly all that were 
written in his day, is reprehensible. However, by long con- 
tinued critical attacks, in which Collier was the principal 
assailant, the immorality of the drama was in a great meas- 
ure overthrown. — Blackmore, as well as Garth, was an 
eminent physician, and was employed in that profession by 
the king. His Creation, a philosophical poem, has been 
much admired, for the beauty of its versiiication and the 
strength of its reasoning. 

Dr. Edward Bernard, a learned critic, linguist, and as- 
tronomer, composed many valuable nautical tables, and was 
industrious in collecting and comparing ancient manuscripts 
in different parts of Europe. — Few literary men have expe« 
rienced more opposition than Dr. Bentley, an eminent critic 
and divine of this period ; who, in a subsequent reign, filled 

Q 



176 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the situation of royal professor of divinity, in the university 
of Cambridge. Besides having the great Boyle as an an- 
tagonist, he was assailed by the cutting satire of Swift, in 
the Tale of a Tub and Battle of the Books, and in the far- 
famed Dunciad of Pope. 

It has been frequently observed, that king William's 
ideas were all military. Two establishments, at Greenwich 
and Chelsea, the one commenced, and the other completed, 
in this reign, to which we may reasonably suppose he gave 
particular attention, are adduced in corroboration. Green- 
wich Hospital, upon the Thames, about six miles from Lon- 
don, originally a favourite residence of the English princes, 
especially of Henry the seventh, and Charles the second, 
Avas now enlarged ; and, with a few acres of ground, appro- 
priated for the residence of aged and disabled seamen, the 
widows and children of those who lost their lives in the ser- 
vice of their country, and for the encouragement of naviga- 
tion. The present establishment consists of two-thousand- 
four-hundred pensioners, and three-thousand out-pension- 
ers, with a sufficient number of nurses, and other attend- 
ants. In point of elegance of architecture, and liberal en- 
dowment, there is scarcely so great an institution in the 
world. Behind the hospital, is a delightful park, well stock- 
ed with deer, in which is an observatory, furnished with all 
kinds of astronomical instruments. — Chelsea Hospital, 
sometimes called Chelsea College, is also situated on the 
Thames, about a mile above the western extremity of Lon- 
don. This noble building, as well as the addition to Green- 
wich Hospital, was designed by the great architect and 
mathematician, sir Christopher Wren ; and is exclusively 
for invalids of the land service. The ordinary pensioners 
are about five-hundred : but the extraordinary, or out-pen- 
sioners, exceed twelve-thousand ; and are allowed each 
twelve pounds a year ; which expense is supported chiefly 
by a poundage deducted from the pay of the army, and one 
day's pay in each year from every officer and private. 

Bayonets, a French invention, were at this time first used 
by the English army. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 177 

CHAPTER XVI. 

ANNE. 

Legislative Union with Scotland, 

1702—1714. 

IN conformity with the act of settlement, Anne, second 
daughter of the unfortunate James, ascended the throne; 
having the general approbation of the kingdom. She was 
now in her thirty-eighth year ; being married, as we before 
related, to George, prince of Denmark. She was rather 
pleasing than beautiful ; and though, like the rest of her 
family, she was fitted rather for the domestic employment 
of a parent, than the public duty of a sovereign, few mon- 
archs have swayed the English sceptre with more ability. 

From the parliament, Anne soon received the most friend- 
ly and flattering addresses. Then, with the usual solemnity, 
she went to the house of peers ; and, in a speech to the 
lords and commons, expressed her satisfaction at their 
unanimous concurrence with her opinion, that too much 
could not be done to encourage the allies in humbling the 
power of France : she desired them to consider on the best 
means of procuring a legislative union with Scotland ; and, 
after some other remarks, concluded, by saying, " As I 
know my own heart to be entirely English, I can very sin- 
cerely assure you, that there is not any thing you can ex- 
pect, or request from me, which I shall not be ready to do, 
for the happiness and prosperity of England ; and you shall 
always find me a strict observer of my word." 

Sharp, archbishop of York, was her director in ecclesias- 
tical affairs : the earl of Rochester was continued as lord 
lieutenant of Ireland : the privy seal was intrusted to the 
marquis of Normanby : the earl of Nottingham and sir 
Charles Hedges were made secretaries of state. The prince 
of Denmark was appointed generalissimo of all the forces, 
both by sea and land ; assisted, as admiral, by a council, 
amongst whom was sir George Rooke, Marlborough (to 
whom we shall, henceforth, give the title of duke) was des- 
patched to Holland, that he might animate the states to a 
vigorous effort against France ; in which embassy, he com- 
pletely succeeded. With them, in conjunction with the 



178 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Imperial minister, he arranged, that war should be declared 
against Louis, on the same day, at the Hague, Vienna, and 
London ; and concerted the operations of the campaign. 

Marlborough, who makes so conspicuous a figure in his- 
tory, was first inured to the dangers of the field under 
the famous French marshal, Turenne; in whose army, he 
had been a volunteer. At first, more remarkable for the 
beauty of his person, than the greatness of his talents, he 
was known in the camp by the name of the handsome Eng- 
lishman ; but his master, who saw much deeper than the 
surface, perceived the superiority of his genius, and pic- 
tured in his imagination the laurels which victory was pre- 
paring for him. When appointed to command, Marlbo- 
rough deviated from the established practice of the army, 
by advancing the subaltern officers ; v.hose cbims had hith- 
erto been neglected. With him, title, or seniority, was no 
passport to promotion : he gave the preference to bravery 
and talent ; by which means, merit was rewarded, and vic- 
tory secured. 

The name of Blenheim is intimately associated 
with that of Marlborough. There, the greatest bat- 
tle of that age was fought; and there he established his re- 
nown. The allied army, at the head of which were the 
duke, and prince Eugene, who commanded the Imperialists, 
amounted to fifty-thousand. The French army, command- 
ed by marshal Tallard, outnumbered their antagonists, by 
at least eight-thousand. Tallard chose his station on a hill; 
his right being protected by the Danube, and the village 
of Blenheim ; his left, by the village of Lutzengen ; his 
front, by a rivulet, the banks of which were steep, and 
its bottom m.arshy. Marlborough, at the head of his Eng- 
lish troops, having crossed the rivulet, attacked, with im- 
petuosity, the cavalry of Tallard. Prince Eugene, on the 
left, had not yet come in contact ; and nearly an hour 
elapsed before he could bring up his troops to the charge. 
The French cavalry being totally defeated, Tallard, at this 
distressing moment, flew to rally some squadrons ; but, hav- 
ing mistaken a detachment of the assailants for his own, he 
was made prisoner. In the mean time, Eugene had joined 
the battle, and assisted to increase the enemy's confusion. 
The rout then became general. So great was the conster- 
nation, that numbers of the F'rench plunged into the Da- 
nube ; and thus, in avoiding one danger, embraced another. 
Twelve-thousand of the enemy perished by the sword and 
the waters; and thirteen-thousand were made prisoners. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 179 

The next day, when the duke visited his prisoner Tal- 
lard, the marshal, intending it as a compliment, assured 
him, that he had conquered the best troops in the world— 
*' I hope, sir," replied the duke, " you will except those by 
whom they have been conquered." 

Marlborough was received in England as the champion 
of his country, and the retriever of its ancient glory. The 
parliament conferred on him the manor of Woodstock; 
where there was subsequently built for him a magnificent 
palace, called Blenheim House. 

At sea, also, the English were in general successful. But, 
on that element, so rich a harvest of military greatness was 
not gathered, as on land. They were not opposed, there, 
by the same degree of talent ; nor were they equally free 
from the mortification of defeat. A lasting monument of 
their success remains, in the acquisition of Gibraltar. Be- 
ing at war v/ith Spain, chiefly owing to an interference in 
the choice of her sovereign; an interference always impoli- 
tic, and always unjust; an English squadron, returning from 
a fruitless expedition, under the command of sir Cloudesly 
Shovel and su' George Rooke, made an easy conquest of 
that celebrated fortress. Gibraltar was the Calpe of the an- 
cients, and formed, in their puerile geography, one of the 
Columnae Herculis, or pillars of Hercules. On the oppo- 
site coast, in Africa, is Ceuta, formerly called Abyla ; dis- 
tant only eighteen miles. These, by the Heathens, were 
supposed to be the boundaries of the labours of Hercules ; 
and, with equal fertility of imagination, were thought to 
have been joined, until that hero opened a passage from 
the Mediterranean into the Atlantic. If any station abroad 
is valuable to England, it is Gibraltar. We are, however, 
entirely opposed to such military outposts. In war, they 
are certainly useful, by giving protection to trade ; but they 
are a means of producing war. Had England fewer of these 
bulwarks, she would be the less liable to conceive oftence, 
and the less ready to commit violence. 

The administration v/as, at this time, composed of the 
two parties — whigs and tories. Of all who influenced the 
public councils, the most powerful was Marlborough, who 
was of the whig party. But he was removed from all liis 
employments, by the intrigues of a female. The dutchess 
of Marlborough, who, in the most imperious way, had long 
ruled the opinions of the queen, was displaced, by the cun- 
ning servility of a fawning rival — a Mrs. Masham. This 
woman was related to the dutchess ; had been raised, by her^ 
Q3 



isO HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

from indigence and obscurity, and brougiit to court to con- 
tribute to the queen's amusement. But this hypocritical 
dependant had a partner in her schemes. Robert Harley, 
then secretary of state, having determined to ruin the credit 
of the duke, and employed her as an instrument, she was 
successful. In his career of ambition, Harley chose for 
his coadjutor the celebrated Henry St. John : the one was 
created earl of Oxford ; the other, lord Bolingbroke ; who 
is much celebrated for his wit and eloquence; but, his 
strong passions led him into many acts of indiscretion and 
folly. 

The duke of Marlborough was remarkable for his ava- 
rice ; a blemish that is recorded in the following anecdote. 
The earl of Peterborough, a general who liad highly dis- 
tinguished himself at the head of some British troops in 
Spain, one day driving through London, was much impeded 
by an immense crowd, who had mistaken him for the duke. 
The earl repeatedly assured them, that they v/ere in error; 
that he was not Marlborough: but, they still persisted that 
he was ; and were proceeding to take his horses from his 
carriage, for the purpose of drawing it themselves, when 
the earl, throwing a handful of money amongst them, ex- 
claimed, " There, now, I hope I have convinced you that I 
am not the duke." 

After more than ten years of severe hostility, Eng- 
' '^' land and France seemed willing to change the deso- 
lating scene.- .Louis, that arch-disturber of the continent, 
was at length alarmed ; and begged with a suppliant tone 
for peace. A treaty commenced at Utrecht, and on the 
fifth of May, peace was proclaimed in London ; causing 
great joy to the majority of the people. The Dutch and 
the Imperialists, after complaining of the desertion of their 
ally, found their interest in acceding ; the one, by the bar- 
rier treaty ; the other, by the treaty of Radstadt. , 

In the mean time, (May 1, 1707) the long projected 
Union with Scotland was completed. The principal terms 
of which were, that the two kingdoms should be represent- 
ed in one parliament : that all subjects of Great Britain 
tihould enjoy equal privileges and advantages : thai the lav/ 
concerning public rights and civil government should be 
the same throughout the united kingdoms; but, that those 
laws which concerned private rights, should remain unalter- 
ed ; except the alteration were advantageous to the people of 
Scotland : that Scotland should be represented by sixteen 
peers and forty -five commonei'S ; and should have the liber- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 181 

ly, not before enjoyed, of trading with the British West In- 
dia plantations. 

The ministerial changes produced aserious alarm amongst 
the whigs; who apprehended a design in favour of the Stu- 
arts. Mr. Steele, (afterwards sir Richard Steele,) was ac- 
tive in exciting the national fears. In a pamphlet, called 
the Crisis, he vehemently declaimed against the ministry, 
and spoke of the immediate danger of their bringing over 
the exiled prince. For this, he was expelled the house of 
commons. Steele was one of the celebrated wits of that 
time; and a large contributor to the Tatler, Spectator, and 
Guardian, of which periodical writings, he was the founder. 

The queen's health was for some time past declining; 
and her anxiety, caused by the turbulence of faction, hast- 
ened her decay. She expired in the fiftieth year of her age, 
and thirteenth of her reign ; having, to the last moment in 
which she possessed her faculties, assiduously laboured for 
the future welfare of her country. The prince of Denm.ark 
had died about six years before, and none of their children 
survived them. 

This period was so prolific in writers of genius and ele- 
gance, that it has been styled the Augustan Age of Eng- 
land. Our language had then, and not till then, acquired 
a degree of polish, which invited the whole poetical genius 
of the nation, to celebrate the passing events of a busy age. 
The poetry, of this time, will, most probably, never be ex- 
celled. It seems to have attained all the strength, and all 
the beauty, of the ancient. The prose, however, even up 
to our own day, has been gradually improving. If, as a 
specimen of the latter, we take the papers of the Specta- 
tor; a work which employed the best talents of the king- 
dom ; we discover humour, and wit, and learning, strug- 
gling with the long continued dominion of grammatical im- 
perfection. Few numbers of that celebrated compilation, 
are equal, in point of style, to the daily effusions of a com- 
mon newspaper. The English language had not been long 
used in exalted subjects. In the preceding reigns, divinity 
had been almost exclusively taught, and polemical dispu- 
tation, conducted, in the Latin tongue: philosophy was dis- 
seminated in the same ; and thus, the native language was 
allowed to remain unpolished, until the impetuous feelings 
of lord Boiingbroke raised it from its degradation, lopped 
off its ungraceful and ambiguous incumbrances, and gave 
it the majestic features, the perspicuous animation, of his 
own mind. 



iS2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

The brightest of the splendid consteilatioiij that appear- 
ed then, was Pope ; the most mellifluous poet that Eng- 
land has produced. His greatest work is the translation of 
Homer, In this, he was assisted by Fenton and Broome. 
To Fenton, were assigned, the 1st, 4th, i9th, and 20th : to 
Broome, the 2d, 6th, 8th, Uth, 12th, 16th, ISth, and 23d 
Books of the Odyssey; and so well have his associates per- 
formed their part, that no reader can distinguish their books 
from those of Pope. For this translation, ho received, hf 
contract, ten-thousand pounds. His Essay on Criticism, 
Rape of the Lock, and Dunciad, are instructive and am.us- 
ing. — Of an interview with a noble lord. Pope gives the 
following account. " The famous lord Halifax was rather 
a pretender to taste than really possessed of it. When I 
had finished the first two or three books of my Iliad, that 
lord desired to have the pleasure of hearing them read at 
his house. Addison, Congreve, and Garth, were at the 
reading. In four or five places, lord Halifax very civilly 
stopped me; saying, I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope — but 
there is something in that passage which does not quite 
please me. Be so good as to mark the place, and consider 
it at your leisure — I am sure you can give it a little turn. 
I went from his lordship's with Dr. Garth, and mentioned 
to the doctor, that lord Halifax had laid me under a great 
deal of difficulty, by such loose and general observations. 
Garth laughed heartily at my embarrassment ; said, that I 
need not puzzle myself much about looking those places 
over, but, to leave them just as they were; to call on lord 
Halifax in two or three months, and read them to him, as 
if altered. I did so; and his lordship was extremely pleased 
with them; and cried out ;. '^y, /zo-zy t/iey are fierfectly 
right — nothing can be'better.'' " 

Though Swift, the celebrated Dean of St. Patrick's, 
stands high as a satirical poet, yet his merit as a political 
writer, and a patriot, is still more exalted. His numerous 
poems are witty and correct. His prose is unaffected and 
perspicuous. As a patriot, he delivered Ireland, his native 
country, from plunder and oppression ; showing, that wit, 
Avhen combined with truth, is irresistible. His D rapier's 
Letters, written against the nefarious coinage of Wood, will 
long be admired for their argument, and respected for their 
integrity. There is, however, one objection to his writings. 
His satire is continually interwoven with indelicacy ; a 
nieans which he used, to make impropriety the more dis- 
gusting. His « Gulliver's Travels" abounds with that mode 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 183 

of portraying the depravity of man. Swift did everything 
in a manner peculiar to himself. A story told by Pope will 
afford a specimen of his humour: — "Dr. Swift has an odd, 
blunt way, which is mistaken by strangers for ill-nature. ' 
'Tis so odd, that there's no describing it but by facts. I'll 
tell you one that first comes into my head. One evening, 
Gay and I went to see him : you know how intimately we 
were all acquainted. On our coming in, 'Heyday, gen- 
tlemen,' says the doctor, 'what's the meaning of this visit? 
How came you to leave the great lords that you are so fond 
of, to come hither to see a poor dean ?' — ' Because we would 
rather see you than any of them.' — ' Ay, any one that did 
not know you so well as I do, might believe you. But, 
since you are come, I must get some supper for you, I sup- 
pose.' — ' No, doctor, we have supped already.' — ' Supped 
already ? that's impossible ! why, 'tis not eight o'clock yet.— - 
That's very strange ; but, if you had not supped, I must 
have got something for you. — Let me see ; what should I 
have had ? A couple of lobsters; ay, that would have done 
very well — two shillings — tarts, a shilling: but you will 
drink a glass of wine with me, though you supped so much 
before your usual time only to spare my pocket ?' — ' No ; we 
would rather talk with you, than drink with you.' — ' But, if 
you had su])ped with me, as in all reason you ought to have 
done, you must then have drank with me. — A bottle of wine, 
two shillings — two and two are four, and one are five: just 
two and six pence apiece. There, Pope; there's half a 
crown for you; and there's another for you, sir; for I wont 
save any thing by you, I am determined.'— This was all 
said and done with his usual seriousness on such occasions; 
and, in spite of every thing we could say to the contrary, 
he actually obliged us to take the money" 

Addison has acquired great celebrity by his tragedy of 
Cato ; but he is better known as the principal contributor 
to the Spectator; a work that every one should read: the 
subjects are literature, morality, and familiar life. In this 
reign, he was under secretary, and in the succeeding, 
principal secretary, of state ; an office, for v/hich, notwith- 
standing his general talents, he was unqualified. 

To those, we have to add, Parnell, Ambrose and John 
Philips, Hughes, Tickel, Rowe, and Gay ; of whom, the 
two last were the most eminent. Gay was the founder of 
the English Opera. Of this poet, we shall, by way of 
amusement, relate the following incident. — Having been 
invited to read a tragedy, called the Captives, before tho 



184 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

princess of Wales, when the hour came, he saw the prin- 
cess and her ladies all in expectation; but, advancing witli 
reverence, too great to admit of any other attention, he 
stumbled over a stool; and, falling forward, threw dov-n a 
weighty Japan screen. The princess started; the ladies 
screamed; and poor Gay, after all the disturbance, had 
still to read his play. — The Drama is indebted also to Far- 
quhar and Coliey Gibber, particularly to the former; who, 
by such comedies as the Rivals, Inconstant, and Beaux 
Stratagem, has enrolled his name amongst the most favour- 
ed votaries of Thalia. Rymer is known for the volum- 
inous compilation of state-papers in his Fcedera ; sir Hanse 
Sloane, for his works on botany and medicine; and sir 
James Thornhill, by the classical beauty of his paintings. 

We recollect, with much pleasure, the names of Berke- 
ley, the celebrated bishop of Cioyne, and the highly admir- 
ed Arbuthnot. The former studied at Dublin College, of 
which great establishment he was a fellow. His first pub- 
lic essays were published in the Spectator and Guardian ; 
which he adorned with many papers in favour of religion 
and virtue. Amongst his other productions, are. The Prin- 
ciples of Human Knowledge, A New Theory of Vision, 
and Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher. Berkeley can- 
not b« exhibited in a more favourable light, than by our 
relating, that when offered a benefice more productive than 
the see of Cioyne, he declined it ; saying, " My neighbours 
and myself love one another, and I cannot think of forming- 
new connexions in my old days, and tearing myself from 
those friends whose kindness to me is my greatest happi- 
ness." — Arbuthnot, a Scotch physician, joined with Pope 
and Swift in publishing several volumes of Miscellanies; 
in which, are the well-known Memoirs of Martinus Scrib- 
lerus — an admirable satire on the abuses of human learn- 
ing; and afterwards composed tables of ancient coins, 
weights, and measures, besides other works of great utility. 

An important act was now passed, to encourage learn- 
ing. Copy-rights were, by this, secured, for a certain pe- 
riod, to the respective authors; and placed beyond the 
vague issue of common-law. 

A statute of Henry the eighth had confined the interest of 
money to ten per cent.; an act of James the first, to eight: 
in the reign of Charles the second it was reduced to six; 
and lastly, in the reign of Anne, to five per cent.; which is 
now the highest rate of interest that can legally be taken. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 185 

CHAPTER XVn. 
GEORGE THE FIRST. 

1714—1727. 

WHEN reading the historic pages of the Henrys, the 
Edwards, or the Williams — c^cn when we reach the less 
remote period of Anne, we arc accompanied by a solemn 
impression of Antiquity. Then, with a gently gliding, 
and nearly imperceptible motion, the old times seemingly 
retreat; whilst the mind diverges from the receding scene, 
until the full, animating, and lively, prospect of our own 
days, opens with increasing splendour. 

The Stuarts had now completed their period of royalty. 
A new branch of the regal family ascended the throne, in 
the order of succession provided by act of parliament. 

George was at this time in the fifty-fifth year of his age. 
He was son of Ernest Augustus Guelf, first elector of 
Brunswick, and the princess Sophia, grand-daughter of 
James the first; and inherited Hanover; which, near the 
end of the preceding century, had been made the ninth 
Electorate of the Germanic Empire. 

The new king was violently prejudiced against one par- 
ty, and attached to the other. His confidence and affec- 
tion where wholly given to the whigs. The duke of Or- 
mond, who commanded the army, was now dismissed, 
and Marlborough restored. The great seal was given to 
lord Cowper; the privy seal to the earl of Wharton; and 
the government of Ireland, to lord Sunderland. The duke 
of Devonshire was made steward of the household : lord 
Townshend and Mr. Stanhope were appointed secretaries 
of state. The duke of Somerset was constituted master of 
the horse; and the duke of Argyle commander of the 
forces in Scotland. Mr. Pultney was made secretary of 
■war, and sir Robert Walpole, who had undertaken to iiian- 
age the house of commons, paymaster of the army. 

The king's partiality soon produced dissatisfaction. In 
different places, seditious libels were dispersed; and alarm- 
ing tumults raised. Birmingham, Bristol, Chippenham, 
Norwich, and Reading, were disturbed with licentious riot. 
The conduct of the late ministry became the 
chief subject of parliamentary inquiry ; and a com- 
mittee were appointed to examine all papers relative to 



186 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the late negotiation for peace. When their report wua 
made, an impeachment was voted ag;ainst lord Bolingbrokcj 
the earl of Oxford, and the duke of Ormond. Mr. Har- 
Icy, brother of the earl, and Mr. Foley, his brother-in-law, 
defended the ministerial conduct of their relative. They 
insisted, that he had done nothing without his sovereign's 
command: that the peace was advantageous and honoura- 
ble; sanctioned by the voice of one parliament, and approv- 
ed by another; and they asked, what security couid be af- 
forded to a minister, against the vengeance of his enemies, 
if the sanction of a parliament, the great legislature of the 
nation, were insufficient. The measures of the duke of 
Ormond were ably advocated by Archibald Hamilton, Mr. 
Hutcheson, general Lumley, and sir Joseph Jekyll. They 
enumerated the eminent services performed to the crown 
and the nation, by the duke and his illustrious ancestors : 
observed, that, in the whole of his late conduct, he had 
obeyed the queen's directions; and that the allegations, 
even if substantiated, did not amount to high treason. 
Bolingbroke, having observed the gathering storm, had 
early secured shelter from its most dangerous effects, by 
retiring to the continent. Ormond, fearing that it would 
btirst upon him with overwhelming fury, remained not to 
try so unequal a contest. The names of those two noble- 
men were erased from the list of peers, and their estates 
were declared to be forfeited to the crown. Oxford, after 
tw^o years' imprisonment in the Tower, was brought to tri- 
al; when, owing to a violent animosity between the two 
houses of parliament, he was liberated M'ithout inquiry. 

The chevalier St. George, (by which title, the son of 
the late king James was known) conceiving this a favoura- 
ble time for making an attempt upon the British throne, 
used every means to increase the national ferment, and ex- 
cite his partizans to arms. He was assisted by Ormond 
and Bolingbroke ; but, his intrigues being discovered by the 
earl of Stair, the English ambassador at Paris, the king 
took effectual measures to oppose them. Another misfor- 
tune arose, to thwart his attempts upon the peace of Eng- 
land. This was the death of Louis the fourteenth ; who, 
contrary to the treaty of Utrecht, had espoused his cause. 
The regency having devolved upon the duke of Orleans, 
he gave the chevalier very trifling assistance; and amused 
his agents with equivocal expressions, tending rather to 
frustrate than to forvv-ard his design. 

But, the adherents of the chevalier had already gone so 



'HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 187 

far, that to retreat with safety was impossible. Resolved, 
therefore, to try their fortune in the field, many persons of 
the first distinction called out their warlike clans. The earl 
of Mar, as his lieutenant-ijeneral, the marquises of Huntley 
and Tullibardine, the earls Marischal and Southesk, were 
the first in arms. Meanwhile, two vessels had arrived from 
Havre, with military stores, and a great number of officers; 
who gave hiformation that the chevalier himself would very 
soon arrive. Some of his partizans attempted to surprise 
the castle of Edinburgh; but the vigilance of colonel Stu- 
art, lieutenant-governor of that fortress, defeated their de- 
sign. The duke of Argyle set out for Scotland, as com- 
mander in chief of the royal forces in that country; and 
many of the Scottish peers returned thither to signalize 
their attachment to the existing sovereign. 

In England, the Pretender had a number of respectable 
supporters. Lords Lansdown and Duplin, sir William 
Wyndham, and sir John Packington, Messrs. Harvey, and 
Forster, Anstes, and Kynaston, members of parliament, 
were ordered to be committed to prison, on suspicion of 
disloyalty. Forster, joined by some gentlemen from the bor- 
ders of Scotland, proclaimed the pretender in Warkworth, 
Morpeth, and Alnwick, in Northumberland; and, being- 
further reinforced by lords Kenmuir, Carnwath, and Win- 
toun, with two-hundred Scottish horse, the whole rested at 
Kelso in Roxburghshire. 

The earl of Mar was now at the head of ten-thousand 
well-armed troops. He fixed hu head quarters at Perth; 
and made himself master of all Fifeshire, and the entire sea- 
coast on that side of the Frith of Edinburgh. He then se- 
lected two-thousand-five-hundred men, commanded by brig- 
adier Mackintosh ; who, after displaying the greatest cour- 
age and abiliiies in a series of difficult enterprises, joined 
the forces at Kelso. 

When arrived at Jedburgh, one-half of the Highlanders 
declared that they would not quit their own country, and 
returned home. At Brampton, Forster opened his commis- 
sion of general, and then continued his march, through 
Kendal and Lancaster, to Preston; of which town, (the royal 
army having retired,) the rebels took possession. Here, 
they were attacked by general Willis, with six regiments 
of horse and one battalion of foot. But the assailants were 
driven off with considerable loss. Next day, general Car- 
penter arrived, with three regiments of dragoons ; by which 
reinforcement, the rebels being intimidated, the whole army 
R 



188 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

surrendered at discretion. The common men were impris 
oned at Chester and Liverpool ; the nobility and principal 
officers were sent to London, and committed to the Tower 
and Newgate. 

The same day on which the rebels surrendered at Pres- 
ton, the duke of Argyle and the earl of Mar were engaged 
at Dumblain, in Scotland. There, was fought, the best con- 
tested battle that occurred during the whole rebellion. The 
latter nobleman, having been joined by the northern clans 
under the earl of Seaforth, and by those of the west under 
general Gordon, had resolved to pass the Forth, that he 
might join his southern friends, and march with them into 
England. Argyle, aware of his intention, determined to ar- 
rest his progress; and, on the 12th of November, encamp- 
ed, with his left on the village of Dumblain, and his right 
towards Sheriffmoor. The next morning, Glengary and 
Clanronald, two Scottish chieftains, who commanded un- 
der the earl of Mar, charged the left of the royal army, 
sword-in-hand, with so great impetuosity, that, in seven 
minutes, both horse and foot were driven, with great slaugh- 
ter, from the field. At the same time, the duke of Argyle 
attacked the left of the enemy, at the head of Stair's and 
Evans' dragoons, and drove them as far as the Water of 
Allan. After much hard fighting, both parties desisted, and 
fronted each other until the evening ; when, the duke drew 
off towards Dumblain, the rebels towards Ardoch. This 
was what is called a drawn battle; on each side were killed 
about five-hundred men. 

In another quarter, the hopes of the insurgents were com- 
pletely ruined. Lord Lovat, having deserted their cause, 
secured the important post of Inverness for the govern- 
ment; after which, many of the pretender's principal ad- 
herents were constrained to retire, for the protection of 
their estates; and then, the clans, according to custom, re- 
turned to their habitations. 

Notwithstanding this desperate situation of his affairs; 
the account of which was confirmed on the return of the 
duke of Ormond, who had come over to reconnoitre ; the 
chevalier determined to join his friends in Scotland. Ac- 
companied by the marquis of Tinmouth and a few others, 
he landed at Peterhead. Thence, having passed through 
Aberdeen, he arrived at Feterosse ; where, he was met by 
the earl of Mar, and about thirty noblemen and gentlemen; 
©f considerable rank. Here, he was solemnly proclaimed 
;king. Having visited Dundee and Scone, he stopped at 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 189 

Perth ; where he formed a regular council, issued procla- 
mations, and, for a while, enjoyed all the satisfaction of con- 
scious royalty. But these golden days were of short con- 
tinuance. The duke of Argyle was now approaching. Pro- 
clamations on the one hand, congratulatory addresses on 
the other, and pathetic speeches in reply, were unavailing. 
Money, arms, ammunition, provisions, — even men, were 
wanting. Thus circumstanced, the chevalier ahandoned the 
enterprise ; and, accompanied by the earls of Mar and Mel- 
ford, with several other persons of distinction, embarked at 
Montrose, and, in a few days, arrived at Gravelines. 

Ireland, though always branded as seditious, remained, 
throughout the whole rebellion, completely tranquil. The 
only event which then occurred in that kingdom, worthy of 
relation, in this small work, was the precautionary order for 
apprehending lords Antrim, Westmeath, Netterville, Cahir, 
and Dillon. 

Stuart's departure had given the signal for hostilities in 
the field to cease. In a few days afterwards, impeachments 
and attainders were voted against his principal friends. Sen- 
tence of death was passed on lords Derwentwater, Ken- 
muir, Carnwath, Nairn, Widdington, and Nithsdale. The 
first two were immediately beheaded: the next three were 
respited until the following month ; and, ultimately, par- 
doned. Lord Nithsdale escaped in a female dress, which 
had been brought to him by his mother. Forster, Mackin- 
tosh, and several others, broke out of Newgate. Many were 
hanged in London, Preston, and Manchester ; and about 
one-thousand were obliged to settle in America. 

It should be carefully remembered, that, in this rebellion, 
persons of various religions were engaged — members of the 
Church of England, the Church of Scotland, and the Church 
of Rome. 

As the present parliament was now drawing towards a 
conclusion, and it was thought dangerous to hazard a gen- 
eral election, whilst the minds of the people were in so great 
a ferment, a bill was passed for discontinuing triennial par- 
liaments, (which term subsisted ever since the sixth year 
of William and Mary,) and establishing septennial. 

The civil war had scarcely terminated, when a formida- 
ble enemy was created on the continent. This was the cele- 
brated Charles the twelfth, of Sweden ; a man equally re- 
markable for the splendour, and the madness, of his ex- 
ploits. The king, as elector of Hanover, having purchased, 
from the opponents of that prince, the dutchies of Bremen 



190 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

and Verden, which had constituted a part of the Swedish 
dominions, Charles determined to have revenge ; and en- 
tered into a treaty with the chevalier St. George, to assist 
him in another attempt upon the English throne. In con- 
sequence, the king went over to the continent ; where he 
remained a short time, that he might secure his Hanoverian 
domhiions. In the following year, the SAvedish monarch 
was killed in the trenches before Frederickshall, in Nor- 
way ; removing, by his death, the apprehensions of invasion, 
^w But England seems to live only amidst the noise 

of arms. She soon hastily embraced, what, a mo- 
ment before, she so cautiously avoided. The king, having 
been appointed by Philip of Spain an arbitrator in a dispute 
with the emperor of Germany, made a decision unpleasing 
to the former ; who, consequently, refused compliance. 
This produced a war between England and Spain. Admiral 
Byng was despatched to the Mediterranean, with twenty- 
two ships of the line. Having performed the most signal 
service, by relieving the Neapolitans and Sicilians, then 
threatened by the Spaniards, the British admiral, after a 
long chase, engaged the enemy's fleet, superior in number, 
off Cape Passaro ; and, in a well contested action, captured 
them all, except six or eight ships. For this achievement, 
Byng was honoured with a letter of approbation from the 
king, written with his own hand; and, for his further servi- 
ces, ennobled, by the title of viscount Torrington. 

The duke of Ormond having gone to Madrid, measures 
were there concerted for exciting another insurrection in 
Great Britain. These plans, however, being made known 
to the English government, by the regent of France, every 
precaution was taken to repel the danger. The duke sailed 
from Cadiz with six-thousand troops, and arms for twelve- 
thousand more ; but, when off Cape Finisterre, his fleet was 
disabled and dispersed by a storm. Only two frigates arriv- 
ed in Scotland; with the earls Marischal and Seaforth, the 
marquis of Tullibardine, some field officers, three-hundred 
Spaniards, and arms for two-thousand men. Being joined 
by a small body of Highlanders, they took possession of 
Donan Castle. General Wightman marched against them; 
and, after driving them before him for some time, made 
prisoners of all the Spaniards ; the Highlanders having pre- 
viously dispersed. Marischal, Seaforth, and Tullibardine, 
retired to one of the Western Isles; and thus ended the ex- 
pedition, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 191 

,„,,, iDformation was now received from the duke of 
'^~^' Orleans, of a fresh conspiracy. A camp was imme- 
diately formed in Hyde Park : all military officers were or- 
dered to join their regiments ; and the court was removed 
to Kensington. Many persons of distinction were commit- 
ted to the Tower, on charges of high treason ; amongst 
whom, was Atterbury, bishop of Rochester, who was, by 
an act of parliament, deprived of all his offices and digni- 
ties, banished from the realm, and subjected to the penalty 
of death, in case he should return. The other prisoners 
were liberated on bail. A pardon was afterwards granted to 
lord Bolingbroke ; who, as we have already mentioned, had 
been impeached, in the beginning of this reign. 

This year was distinguished by a remarkable in- 

"'* cident — the trial of the earl of Macclesfield, lord 
chancellor of England, It was reported to the house of 
commons, that the chancellor had embezzled the estates of 
many widows, orphans, and lunatics : that he had raised, to 
an exorbitant sum, the price of situations of masters in chan- 
cery ; trusting in their hands large sums of money belong- 
ing to suitors, that those officers might be enabled to com- 
ply with his demands ; and that he had made, in several cases, 
irregular orders. He was accordingly impeached at the 
bar of the upper house. The trial lasted twenty days, and 
ended in his conviction ; by which he was fined thirty-thou- 
sand pounds. — How honourable to the laws — how disgrace- 
ful to the judge! 

,^,-j- The king, having appointed a regency, left Eng- 
land to visit his Hanoverian dominions. But, on his 
journey, he was seized with a paralytic disorder, and con- 
veyed, in a state of insensibility, to Osnaburgh ; where he 
expired, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and thirteenth 
of his reign. In his person and address, he was plain and 
unaffected: in his general deportment, grave and composed; 
though, when removed from the cares of business, easy, fa- 
cetious, and familiar. 

This reign is remarkable for stock-jobbing projects ; and 
particularly for the South-Sea speculation ; which involved 
its numerous victims in ruin, and its managers in well mer- 
ited punishment and infamy. 

In 1722, died the great duke of Marlborough ; the only 
general, either of ancient or modern times, of whom it can 
be said, that he never fought a battle that he did not gain, 
nor ever besieged a town that he did not take. 

In the year 1723, the decorations of St. Paul's cathedral 
R 2 



J92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

in London were completed. This is the most magnificent 
protestant church in the world ; and one of the finest struct- 
ures that any age has produced. It is said to have been 
originally founded by Ethelbert, a Saxon prince, on the site 
of a temple which the Romans had dedicated to Diana. The 
old building was destroyed in the great fire of 1666. The 
first stone of the present structure was laid by sir Christo- 
pher Wren, in 1675. It is built of fine Portland stone, after 
the model of St. Peter's at Rome. Its length from east to 
west is five-hundred feet ; its breadth, three-hundred-and- 
eleven, including the porticos; its height, from the ground 
to the top of the cross, three-hundred-and -forty -four feet ; 
occupying an area of six acres. The expense of building 
amounted to more than seven -hundred-thousand pounds. 

In 1716, John Lombe erected a silk mill at Derby; the 
first established in England. The building in which his 
machinery, copied from the Italian models, was placed, is 
still used by the original manufacture. About the same 
time, the astronomical instrument, called the Orrery, was 
invented, by George Graham, of London ; and lady Mary 
Wortley Montague introduced, from Constantinople, the 
practice of inoculation for the small-pox. — The Royal Bank 
at Edinburgh received its charter in the last year of this 
reign ; being the second public money establishment in the 
country of which that city is the capital. The first, called 
the Bank of Scotland, was instituted in the reign of William 
and Mary. 

The poets who began, at this time, to attract public at- 
tention, were. Watts, Thomson, and Savage. Doctor Watts 
was a dissenting minister, and amongst the first who gave 
the presbyterians a taste for the graces of language, in 
the service of their church : he showed them, that zeal 
and purity might be expressed and enforced in a polished 
composition. His version of the psalms of David, is very 
generally adopted. As a logician, he was particularly emi- 
nent. His system of logic has been received into the uni- 
versities. Every one must look back with veneration on 
this truly useful and charitable man. He laid aside the 
scholar, the philosopher, and the wit, to write little poems 
of devotion and systems of instruction for children ; adapt- 
ed to their wants and capacities, from the earliest dawn of 
reason to the first approaches of maturity ; and, during a 
great part of his life, gave to the poor a third part of his 
annual revenue, though it did not exceed one-hundred 
pounds. Thomson, may be rated amongst the highest 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 193 

class of poetical writers. His Seasons, the most admired 
of all his performances, display some of the sweetest pas- 
sages that any poet has produced. An account of the life 
and writings of Savage, will be found in Johnson's Lives 
of the Poets. He was equally remarkable for his genius 
and misfortunes ; which his biographer has recorded with 
much effect and elegance. The life of Savage is almost 
the only one that Johnson has given with impartiality ; and 
is written with more perspicuity, and less affectation, than 
any other in his collection. 

Nathaniel Hooke had an extensive knowledge of foreign 
languages, and wrote an admired history of Rome. De 
Foe was equally ingenious either in politics, or in commer- 
cial economy ; and was a strenuous advocate of the people's 
rights : but, he is best known as the author of Robinsoa 
Crusoe ; the most fascinating romance that has ever ap- 
peared ; and not more conducive to entertainment, than to 
the interest of morality. He has been accused of dealing 
unfairly with Alexander Selkirk, upon whose adventures 
the work is founded : but the charge seems to have been 
framed by his political enemies ; as Selkirk printed his own 
narrative, many years before the appearance of the imagin- 
ary Crusoe. 

GEORGE THE SECOND. 

1727—1760. 

George the second, only son of the late king, ascended 
the throne in the forty-fourth year of his age. At this pe- 
riod, lord Townshend was minister of foreign affairs, and the 
interior government was conducted chiefly by sir Robert 
Walpole ; a man who had raised himself to this high situa- 
tion by his eloquence, and his talent for political intrigue. 
Lord Torrington was placed at the head of the admiralty. 
Philip Dormer Stanhope, earl of Chesterfield, was nomi- 
nated ambassador to the Hague. 

The national debt of Great Britain was more than fifty- 
two millions ; an alarming sum, when compared with her 
eotemporary finances. The ministers, as at present, boast- 
ed of their sinking fund, as a powerful means of reducing 
the debt : but, as yet, this far-famed invention has been in- 
effective. Theory is overthrown by fact. Arithmetical 
calculation seems as much opposed to this method of re- 
duction, as mathematical demonstration is to the attempts 



194 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

at producing perpetual motion by the unaided agency of 
mechanical power. 

The system of corrupting the members of parliament, 
was carried to a most shameful height. The immoral cus- 
tom of voting large sums, under the name of secret service 
money, had placed an engine of corruption in the hands of 
the administration ; and patriotism was, by that means, 
nearly extinguished. The most eminent opposers of the 
ministry, at this period, were, sir William Wyndham, Mr. 
Shippen, and William Pulteney. But their industry and 
eloquence were unsuccessful. The treasury was still more 
elocjuent. Subsidies were liberally given to continental 
powers ; and treaties concluded, entirely uninteresting to 
Great Britain. 

Lord Carteret, who had governed Ireland with 

^ ' much propriety, returned to England; being suc- 
ceeded in his office by the duke of Dorset. The parliament 
of that country had lately paid much attention to the interest 
of agriculture, manufactures, and trade. 

In the following year, seven Indian chiefs, of the Chero- 
kee nation, were brought to England, by sir Alexander 
Cumin. We may naturally imagine the feelings of these 
rude people, from the novelty of all around them. Being 
introduced to the king, they laid their regalia at his feet ; 
and, by a regular deed, acknowledged themselves subject 
to his dominion, in the name of all their compatriots, by 
whom they had been commissioned. They were amazed 
at the splendour of the court. They compared the king 
and queen to the sun and moon ; the princes, to the stars 
of heaven, and themselves to nothing. After finishhig a 
treaty of friendship and commerce, these interesting visiters 
were loaded witli presents, and conveyed to their own 
country. 

We pass over the detail of many violent debates in par- 
liament, on finances, provision for the royal family, and il- 
legal practices of the court to insure a majority. The op- 
position had now acquired considerable strength. They 
combated, with assiduity and manly eloquence, every at- 
tempt upon the liberties of the people. A motion made 
by Mr. Bromley, for repealing the septennial act, and for 
the more frequent calling of parliaments, elicited the tal- 
ents of both parties beyond any other question in this reign. 

On that subject, sir William Wyndham delivered a 
speech, plainly referring to sir Robert Walpole and the 
reigning sovereign, which showed him to be the unrivaled 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 195 

orator, and the unshaken patriot. — *< Let us suppose," said 
he, in the conclusion, *' a man destitute of all sense of vir- 
tue and honour; of no great family ; of mean fortune ; raised 
to be chief minister of state by the concurrence of many 
■whimsical events ; afraid, or unwilling, to trust any but 
creatures of his own making; lost to every feeling of shame 
or reputation ; ignorant of his country's true interest; pur- 
suing no aim but that of aggrandizing himself and his fa- 
vourites ; in foreign affairs, trusting none, but those, who, 
from the bent of their education, cannot possibly be quali- 
fied for the service of their country. — Let us suppose the 
true interest of the nation, by such means, neglected or 
misunderstood; her honour tarnished ; her importance lost; 
her trade insulted ; her merchants plundered; her sailors 
murdered; and all these circumstances overlooked, lest his 
administration should be endangered. Suppose, next, that 
he is possessed of immense wealth, the plunder of the na- 
tion, with a parliament composed chiefly of men whose 
seats are purchased, and whose votes are bought, at the ex- 
pense of the public treasure. In such a parliament, sup- 
pose that all attempts made to inquire into his conduct, or 
to relieve the nation from the distress which has been en- 
tailed upon it, by his administration, are fruitless. Sup- 
pose him screened by a corrupted majority of his creatures; 
whom he retains in daily pay, or engages in his interest, by 
distributing amongst them those posts and places which 
ought never to be given to any but for the good of the pub- 
li(>?'^ Let us suppose him domineering, with insolence, over 
all the men of ancient families ; over all the men of sense, 
figure, or fortune, in the nation ; as he has no virtue of his 
own, ridiculing it in others, and endeavouring to destroy or 
corrupt it, in all. With such a minister, and such a par- 
liament, let us suppose a case, which I hope will never hap- 
pen — a prince upon the throne, uninformed, ignorant, and 
unacquainted with the true interest of his people — weak, 
capricious, transported with unbounded ambition, and pos- 
sessed of insatiable avarice. I hope that such a case will 
never occur; but, as it possibly may, could any greater evil 
happen to a nation, than such a prince on the throne — ad- 
vised, and solely advised, by such a minister, and that min- 
ister supported by such a parliament ? — The nature of man- 
kind cannot be altered, by human laws: the existence of 
such a prince, or such a minister, we cannot prevent, by 
act of parliament — but, the existence of such a parliament, 
I think we may prevent ; and as it is more likely to exist 



196 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

while the septennial law remains in force, than if it were 
repealed, I am, therefore, heartily, for its being repealed.'* 

But, notwithstanding the nervous arguments in favour 
of the motion, the advocates of liberty were overthrown by 
a ministerial majority. 

In the house of lords, the minority were not less vigilant 
in detecting, and resolute in opposing, every measure inju- 
rious to their country. The most remarkable object of 
their attention, at this time, was a petition presented by the 
duke of Bedford, subscribed by the dukes of Hamilton, 
Queensbury, and Montrose, the earls of Dundonald, March- 
niont, and Stair, complaining, that improper influence had 
been used in the election of the sixteen peers returned to 
parliament, for Scotland. The partizans of the ministry 
would willingly have stifled the inquiry in the beginning; 
but it was so strongly supported by the earls of Chester- 
field, Abingdon, and Strafford, the lords Bathurst and 
Carteret, that they could not so soon dismiss it, with any 
regard to decorum. The petitioners stated, that a list of 
the sixteen peers, called the king's list, had been made, 
previous to the election, by persons in high trust under the 
crown : that votes were procured for their favourites, by 
pensions, offices, and money; and that, on the day of elec- 
tion, his majesty's troops were drawn up, contrary to cus- 
tom, in the Abbey-court of Edinburgh, without any appar- 
ent cause, but that of overawing the electors. — Authentic 
documents, taken from the journal of the election, were 
then produced; which fully supported the allegations of 
the petition. But all these proofs, though supported by 
the charms and energy of eloquence, were exhibited in 
vain ; and a motion was carried for adjourning, 
y In this year, Great Britain was deprived of one of 

her greatest ornaments — lord chancellor Talbot; 
who, by his probity and professional acquirements, had 
given additional dignity to his exalted situation. He was 
succeeded in his office by lord Hardwick. 
^„ Owing to a disgraceful treaty with Spain, in 

which the national dignity had been sacrificed, by 
its not expressly providing that British ships, when trading 
from one English colony to another, should not be search- 
ed by the Spaniards ; that country paid little regard to its 
fulfilment ; and her dereliction was succeeded by a war. 
They now claimed the right of searching all British ves- 
sels in the American seas, without exception. Admiral 
Vernon was despatched to attack the town of Porto Bello, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 197 

on the isthmus of Darien; which place he easily reduced, 
and then demolished all its fortifications. But he was not 
so fortunate in his subsequent operations. Being 
' joined at Jamaica by a lari^e reinforcement, under 
sir C. Ogle, his fleet now amounted to nearly sixty sail; 
one-half of which were of the line. With about twelve- 
thousand land troops, under general Wentworth, he sailed 
with the intention of reducing Havanna, in the island of 
Cuba; but, changing his destination, he proceeded to the 
attack of Carthagena. The attempt, however, proved abor- 
tive. Owing to the want of co-operation between the sea 
and the land forces, in which the admiral was in fault, the 
troops were re-imbarked ; after suffering incredible hard- 
ships, both from the fire of the enemy, and sickness: and, 
in the end, only a tenth part of their number returned to 
England. 

/-Commodore Anson had been sent with a small squadron 
to annoy the enemy in the South Sea. This enterprising 
officer returned, after an absence of three years and nine 
months; having made considerable prizes, and circumnavi- 
gated the globe. His voyage, the particulars of which 
were published, has been much celebrated ; and his con- 
duct procured him advancement to the peerage. His fleet 
being shattered by dreadful severity of weatlier, he took 
shelter at the island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of 
Chili ; a place famous for having given rise to the story of 
Robinson Crusoe. The following interesting observation 
is extracted from his voyage. — " Former writers have re- 
lated, that this island abounded w'nh vast numbers of goats ; 
and their accounts are not to be questioned ; this place hav- 
ing been the usual haunt of the buccaniers and privateers 
that formerly frequ cited these seas. And there are two 
instances, one of a Iviusquito Indian, the other of Alexan- 
der Selkirk, a Scotchman, who Vv'^ere left there by their re- 
spective ships, and lived alone upon the island for some 
years; consequently, were no strangers to its productions. 
Selkirk, who was the last, after a stay of four or five years, 
was taken off the place by the Duke and Duchess priva- 
teers of Bristol. His manner of life, in most particulars, 
was very remarkable; and there is one circumstance he re- 
lates, so fully verified by our own observation, that I can- 
not avoid reciting it. He tells us, amongst other things, 
that he often caught more goats than he wanted; some- 
times marked then- ears and let them go. This was about 
thirty-two years before our arrival at the island. Now, it 



198 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

happened, that the first we killed there, had his ears slit ; 
from which, we concluded that he had been formerly under 
the power of Selkirk. This was indeed an animal of most 
venerable aspect; dignified with an exceedingly majestic 
beard, and with many otlier symptoms of antiquity. Dur- 
ing our stay, we met with others, marked in the same man- 
ner ; all the males being distinguished by an exuberance of 
beard, and every other characteristic of extreme age." 

The conthicnt of Europe was now alHicted with most 
sanguinary contests; arising from a disputed claim to the 
imperial throne, and the conquest of Silesia by the Prus- 
sians. This is the period in which Frederick the Great, 
king of Prussia, appeared so conspicuous, as an indefatiga- 
ble soldier and a wise politician. His Memoirs of the Seven 
Years War are highly interesting. In these contests, the 
king of England found an opportunity of engaging, as elect- 
or of Hanover; assisted In- British and Hanoverian troops, 
in conjunction with a body of Dutch and other auxiliaries, 
A great battle ensued at the village of Dettingen. The al- 
lies, amounting to forty-thousand, were commanded by the 
earl of Stair : the F'rench, by whom they were opposed, in 
number thirty-thousand, were under the duke de Gram- 
mont. The engagement was sustained, on both sides, with 
distinguished bravery, and ended in the defeat of the enemy, 
with considerable loss. George himself, and his second 
son, the duke of Cumberland, were in this action, and ex- 
posed themselves in the very hottest of the fight. 

Meanwhile, the councils of the nation were most violent- 
ly disturbed. A powerful party being formed against the ad- 
ministration, Walpole and his adherents seemed tottering 
on their seats. Mr. Sandys informed him, that, in two days, 
he intended to bring a charge against him, in public. Sir 
Robert received the intimation with great indifference, and 
quoted the following, as a passage of Horace : 

Kil conscire sibl, nulH ^lallescere culfise. 
(To be conscious of no guilt, to turn pale at no charge.) 
Mr. Pulteney who sat on the same bench with him, said, 
that that was false Latin. Sir Robert wagered a guinea, 
that it was not ; a copy of Horace being produced, and the 
words of the author appearing to be, 

JVil conscire sibi^ nulla pallescere culpa^ 
Mr. Pulteney took the guinea, and, holding it up, said, 
"vvith a sneer, that it w as the only guinea of the public mo- 
ney, he had received for many years. — But these dissen- 
sions were suddenly suspended. From the general dissatis- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 199 

faction in Great Britain, the French were persuaded that 
the people were ready for revolt ; and the court of Ver- 
sailles having been informed, that if the chevalier St. George, 
or his eldest son, Charles, would appear in that country, at 
the head of a French army, a revolution would immediately 
follow in his favour ; measures were accordingly concerted 
by the minister, cardinal de Tencin, with the former ; who 
then resided at Rome. The chevalier, being far advanced 
in years, delegated his authority to his son. Young Charles 
having arrived in Paris, preparations went vigorously for- 
ward for the intended invasion. In order to protect the land- 
ing of the troops, M. de Roquefeuille sailed from Brest, 
with twenty vessels of the line ; directing his course up the 
English Channel: but, on the approach of admiral Norris, 
he quickly returned into port. Thus, England, for the pres- 
ent, was saved from the horrors of civil 



war. 



Notwithstanding the battle of Dettingen, and this at- 
tempted invasion, France and England were nominally at 
peace. A British minister was still at Paris. War, howev- 
er, was soon formally proclaimed. The French king, hav- 
ing resolved to humbk the house of Austria, by making a 
conquest of the Netherlands, sent thither an immense ar- 
my, commanded by count Saxe ; and Louis himself, accom- 
panied by the Dauphin, having arrived in the camp, they 
invested the town of Tournay. The duke of Cumberland, 
at the head of the combined troops, marched to its relief; 
and came in sight of the enemy near Fontenoy. Here, a 
dreadful battle ensued. The English and Hanoverians 
fought with determined bravery ; but, being unsupported 
by the Dutch, they were, in the end, defeated. 

During these events, the administration had undergone 
an important revolution. Sir Robert Walpole, having been 
gradually losing his influence in parliament, was at length 
overpowered by a decided majority. The next day, both 
houses were for a short time adjourned : in the interim, he 
was created earl of Orford, and, after being prime minister 
for twenty years, resigned all his employments. Many of 
the country party came into power. Mr. Sandys was made 
chancellor of the exchequer; lord Carteret, secretary of 
state; Mr. Pulteney was admitted into the privy council, 
and created earl of Bath; and the earl of Stair, appointed 
field marshal of all his majesty's forces. But this was a 
change only of men — not of measures. Several of those who 
had declaimed the most loudly against the court, now as 
loudly opposed an inquiry into the past corruptions. Amongst 



200 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

these, were lords Carteret, Bathiirst, the new earl of Bath, 
and Mr. Sandys. Amongst the firm adherents of the people, 
were, the duke of Bedford, the earls of Stanhope, Sandwich, 
and Chesterfield. This nobleman was, afterwards, lord lieu- 
tenant of Ireland ; and, principal secretary of state. During 
his short government, his urbanity and mildness gained the 
affections of the Irish people, and he contributed highly to 
the improvement of the Phoenix Park. He was distinguish- 
ed for his wit, eloquence, and polished manners, and for his 
extraordinary address in negotiation : but he merits a se- 
vere reproach, for having recommended his diplomatic sys- 
tem of flattery and dissimulation, to aspiring youth ; from 
their first introduction to the drawingroom, to their last 
stage of national advancement. Man is, by nature, or by 
gradual contamination, already too apt to become a time- 
serving sycophant, and needs not the eloquence of Ches- 
terfield to urge him on his march to dishonourable attain- 
ments. 

I'-Aii ^^"® ^^'^ ^^^^ approaching the most prominent 
^ ' event of this reign. Though more than half a cen- 
tury had passed since the house of Stuart forfeited the 
throne, yet the hope of regaining it was not extinct. Young 
Charles determined to make another effort. The majority 
of his friends, however, sent a messenger, advising, that, as 
he could not then expect the necessary aid from France, 
his enterprise might end in the ruin of himself and his ad- 
herents. But this advice did not arrive in time to prevent 
his embarkation. Being furnished with some money and 
arms, on his private credit, he set sail, on board a small 
frigate, from Port St. Nazaire; accompanied by the mar- 
quis of Tullibardine, sir Thomas Sheridan, sir John Mac 
Donald, with a few other Irish and Scotch friends ; and was 
joined off Belleisle by the Elizabeth, a French ship of six- 
ty-six guns, as a convoy. Having fallen in with the Lion, 
an English ship of the line, there ensued an obstinate and 
sanguinary action. The Elizabeth was so disabled, that she 
with difficulty arrived at Brest ; and the Lion was render- 
ed almost a wreck. The return of the Elizabeth deprived 
Charles of a large quantity of arms, and a number of ex- 
perienced officers ; but, he at length arrived at Borrodale, 
where he was in a short time joined by a considerable num- 
ber of hardy mountaineers, under their respective leaders. 

On the 19th of August, the marquis of Tullibardine 
erected the pretender's standard at Glensinnan. Charles, 
himself, having assembled about twelve-hundred men, en- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 20i 

camped near Fort William, situated on Loch Eil, in In- 
vernessshire. Hostilities immediately began. In another 
quarter, major Donald Mac Donald, at the head of a small 
party of Keppoch's clan, encountered two companies of 
newly-raised royalists ; whom he easily disarmed. Charles 
was afterwards joined by the duke of Perth, the earls of 
Kilmarnock and Cromartie, and viscount Strathallan ; lords 
Nairn, George Murray, Elcho, Balmerino, and Ogilvie; 
Pitsligo, Lewis Gordon, and John Drummond. The gov- 
ernment, which, for some time, had doubted the truth of 
Stuart's landing, was now effectually alarmed. A proclama- 
tion was soon issued, offering a reward of thirty-thousand 
pounds for his person ; whilst he, in another proclamation, 
set the same price upon the head of the <' elector of Flan- 
over." The Highlanders marched to Perth ; where the 
chevalier St. George was proclaimed king of Great Britain; 
and, on the 17th of September, Charles entered Edinburgh, 
and too^ possession of the royal palace of Holyrood House. 

Three-thousand of the king's troops, commanded by^n^ 
John Cope, were now approaching. On the 20th of the 
month, they encamped near Preston Pans. Early next 
morning, the young pretender, with an inferior number of 
half-armed Highlanders, attacked them, with so great im- 
petuosity, that, in a few minutes, the royalists were totally 
beaten, with the loss of their colours, tents, baggage, and 
military chest. Five-hundred of the king's troops were kill- 
ed on the field of battle. Amongst these, was colonel Gar- 
diner ; who, when abandoned by his own regiment of dra- 
goons, disdaining to save liis life at the expense of honour, 
joined the infantry, and combated on foot, until, covered 
with wounds, he fell, in view of his own door, bravely fight- 
ing to the last. 

After the engagement, the victor returned to Edinburgh. 
Whilst he resided there, some of the presbyterian clergy 
continued to preach in the churches of that city, and, with- 
out meeting any interruption, publicly prayed for king 
George. A minister, named Mac Vicar, having been so- 
licited by some Highlanders to pray for their prince, promis- 
ed to comply, and performed his promise in these words : 
" And, as for the young prince, who has come hither^ in' 
search of an earthly croivn — grant, O Lord, that he may 
speedily receive a cro%vn of glory.^^ 

Young Stuart had gained possession of nearly all Scot- 
land : the number of his followers daily increased, and he re- 
ceived considerable supplies of money, artillery, and ammu° 



202 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

nition, from France. At length, having collected about five- 
thousand men, he resolved to make an irruption into Eng- 
land. He entered by the west border : invested Carlisle, 
Avhich in a few days surrendered ; and, leaving a small gar- 
rison in the castle, advanced to Penrith; marching, on foot, 
in the Highland dress.* Thence, he proceeded, through 
Lancaster and Preston, to Manchester; where, on the 29th 
of November, he established his head quarters. Here, he 
was joined by a small regiment under the command of col- 
enel Townley ; and, apparently, was received with affection- 
ate regard. Leaving Manchester, he forded the Mersey at 
Stockport, at the head of his troops; passed through Mac- 
clesfield and Congleton, and entered Derby ; which is within 
one-hundred-and-twenty miles of London. — In the mean 
time, general Wade, with a body of the royal forces, ling- 
ered in Yorkshire; and the duke of Cumberland, with 
another army, was posted near Lichfield. The capital was 
j^w a scene of terror and suspense : but this alarm quickly 
Subsided. Stuart was not supported in England as he had 
expected. In a council of war, which he called at Derby, his 
proposal, that his army should proceed to London, was re- 
jected : it was determined to return into Scotland without 
delay ; and, on the sixth of December, he commenced his 
retreat. He was overtaken, at Clifton, by two regiments of 
dragoons; whom he repulsed with great slaughter: on the 
19th he reached Carlisle; and, having reinforced the gar- 
rison, he crossed the rivers Eden and Solway, into Scot- 
land ; after accomplishing one of the most surprising re- 
treats that history records. 

By this time, a considerable body of troops were 
assembled in Scotland, under the command of gen- 
eral Hawley. On the 14th of January, his army was at 
Falkirk ; whilst the rebels were stationed at Bannockburn. 
On the 17th, the pretender made a furious attack on the 

* No infantry in the world have so lively, and so martial an appear- 
ance, as the Highlandei's of Scotland. Their present full dress con- 
sists in a bonnet, with a broad tartan edg-e, and a profusion of black 
ostrich feathers : a scarlet jacket, a plaid thrown over the shoulder, 
in the manner of a scarf: a tartan kilt, which reaches to within a few 
indflies of the knee, of the same form as the ancient Uoman ; having a 
handsome pouch in front: tartan stocking-s, which ascend only to the 
calf of the leg'; their shoes being- fastened with brass buckles. For- 
merly, they wore a dirk and a tremendous broad-sword ; and, when 
rushing to the charge, threw away the musket, and attacked sword- 
in-hand. Their officers still retain liie dirk and basket-hilted sword, 
■with all their other ancient appendages ; and, in this dress, appearnot 
only in the field, but at the royal court. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 203 

TO) al forces ; drove them off the field, and captured the 
greater part of their tents and artillery. 

On the 16th of April, the duke of Cumberland advanced 
to attack the rebels ; who, headed by their young prince, 
were stationed on Culloden Muir. Their number was only 
about four-thousand ; and they were greatly confused and 
disheartened, by an unsuccessful attempt, made by them a 
fev/ days before, on the quarters of the duke. The royal 
army was much more numerous, and in excellent order. — > 
About one o'clock in the afternoon, the cannonading began. 
The artillery of the rebels was ill-served, and did little ex- 
ecution ; but that of the king's troops made dreadful havock. 
After a vigorous resistance, the rebels were defeated. The 
French picquets covered their retreat by a close and regular 
fire ; and then retired to Inverness, where they surrendered. 
Twelve-hundred of the rebels were killed or wounded ; and 
the victorious soldiers exercised around the country the 
usual barbarities of civil war. 

The vanquished invader rode off the field with a few 
friends, crossed the Nairn, and retired to the house of a 
gentleman in Strattharick; where he conferred with old ferd 
Lovat. Then, having dismissed his followers, he wandered, 
in wretchedness and solitude, amongst the isles and moun- 
tains, for the space of five months ; in which time, he un- 
derwent a series of misery and dangers, such as it is scarce- 
ly credible that a human being could withstand. He was 
surrounded by armed troops, who chased him from hill to 
hill, from rock to cavern, and from shore to shore. For 
some days, he appeared in female dress. One day, he was 
in the very centre of a party of the royal troops, whom he 
heard relieving the guard, and conversing. Here, a young 
man, permitting himself to pass for Charles, and refusing 
to surrender, was killed on the spot. This contributed great- 
ly to save the life of the pretender, who, being supposed 
dead, afterwards traveled by several camps, and even pass- 
ed between their sentinels. He was obliged to trust his life 
to the fidelity of more than fifty individuals ; and, though 
many of these were in the greatest indigence, they all nobly- 
resisted the allurement of reward. 

At length, a privateer, hired by Sheridan and other Irish 
adherents, arrived in Lochnannoch ; on board of which the 
vmfortunate young prince embarked, on the 20th day of 
September; and, after passing unseen, during a thick fog, 
through a British squadron, and being chased by two ships 
of war, he arrived safely near Morlaix, in France. 
S 2 



204 HISTORY OF EIsGLAND. 

The victory at Cullodcn had extinguished the rebellion. 
An act of attainder was now passed against the principal in- 
surgents : courts were opened in difierent places for trying 
the prisoners, and many persons were executed ; amongst 
whom were, the lords Kilmarnock, Lovat, and Balmerino. 

The behaviour of lord Lovat, on the scaffold, was re- 
markably cheerful, and even facetious. He surveyed the 
crowd with attention, examined the axe, jested with the 
executioner; and, after repeating, though with very little 
propriety, the famous line of Horace, Dulce et decorum est 
pro patria inori^ (it is pleasant and honourable to die for 
one's country,) he laid his head upon the block, with the 
utmost indifference. 

The naval operations, for some time past, were very fa- 
vourable to Great Britain. But they were more advantage- 
ous than glorious. In almost eVery engagement, she had a 
superiority of force. The sea officers, recently the most dis- 
tinguished, were, Anson, Warren, Hawke, and Boscawen. 
Their victories, which had nearly annihilated the French 
navy, and destroyed their commerce ; the sailing of Bosca- 
wen against the French settlements in the East Indies, add- 
ed to some military disappointments suffered by Louis ; in- 
duced this monarch to think seriously of peace. Plenipo- 
17AR tentiaries from the contending powers assembled at 
Aix-la-Chapelle ; and, in the month of October, a de- 
finitive treaty was signed, and hostilities ceased in all quar- 
ters. 

Notice was given to the young pretender, that, in conse- 
quence of an article in this treaty, he must immediately 
quit France; but, as he refused to comply with this order, 
and even threatened to shoot the first person that would 
presume to arrest him, he was, one evening, when stepping 
out of his coach at the opera-house, in Paris, seized by a 
party of French guards; who, having tied him with a cord, 
like a common felon, conducted him beyond the frontiei's 
of the kingdom. 

The few years of peace which followed, were the most 
prosperous and happy that Europe had ever known. Arts 
and letters were successfully cultivated : manufactures were 
improved, and commerce extended: the intercourse of man- 
kind was rendered more frequent and easy, by means of new 
roads and newly invented carriages. This was particularly 
the case in France and England, and between the people 
of these two rival kingdoms. Forgetting their past animos- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 205 

ities, they seemed to contend only for pre-eminence in re- 
finement and mutual civility. 

But that harmony was soon interrupted. With monarchs, 
the happiness of a people is, in general, of small import- 
ance. A criminal ambition is, too frequently, the spring of 
all their actions. When Louis signed the treaty of Aix-la- 
Chapelle, his ministers had formed a plan of encroaching 
upon the principal English settlements in America and the 
East Indies : as soon, therefore, as he had recruited his 
diminished navy, he commenced his operations. 

The province of Nova Scotia, in North America, to 
which the French had given the name of I'Acadie, had been 
ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht. But, the 
soil being reputed barren, and the climate intensely cold, 
only a few English families had settled in that country ; 
notwithstanding its advantageous situation for the fishing 
trade, and its abounding in naval stores; so that the French 
inhabitants, having sworn allegiance to the British, had 
continued to enjoy their lands and ancient privileges under 
the government of England. As they were exempted from 
carrying arms against the subjects of Louis, they assumed 
the name of neutrals. But this peaceful character, they 
shamefully violated in 1746, when France attempted to re- 
gain possession of the province. It therefore became ne- 
.„ cessary to people it with subjects of Great Britain; 
and, in consequence of liberal encouragement, about 
three-thousand families, many of whom were Germans, ar- 
rived in Nova Scotia. The town of Halifax was then built, 
and the harbour strongly fortified. 

New disputes arose, of still more importance. These 
related to the boundaries of the British provinces, (now in- 
cluded in the United States,) on which the French had 
systematically tried to encroach. Their plan was, to unite 
Canada and Louisiana by a chain of forts; and to confine the 
English in that tract of country which lies within the Alle- 
ghany mountains and the sea. Although the British col- 
onists had then made few settlements beyond those moun- 
tains, yet the inhabitants of Virginia considered that their 
territory towards the west was unlimited, except by the 
ocean ; having been partly occupied even before the French 
discovered Louisiana; and the people of the two Carolinas 
had never doubted that they might extend their plantations 
to the banks of the Mississippi, without interfering with 
any of the European powers. Their only care was to quiet 
the jealousy of the Indians. 



206 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

_, Roused, at length, by the insults and invasion of 

the French, the several colonies determined to sup- 
port the British claims in every part of North America. 
In consequence of this resolution, major Washington, whom 
we have already mentioned in comparison with a great Eng- 
lish character, was despatched from Virginia with four- 
hundred men ; to watch the motions of the enemy, and re- 
cover the places which they had taken on the Ohio. Wash- 
ington encamped on the banks of that river, threw up some 
works for his defence, and waited to receive a reinforce- 
ment from New York. De Villier, having in vain sum- 
moned him to abandon his post, attacked him at the head 
of eight-hundred men; but Washington defended it with so 
much skill and intrepidity, as to render all the eftbrts of 
his enemy abortive. It was, however, agreed that both 
parties should retire: the Americans towards Will's creek: 
the French, towards the Monongahela. 

In the following year, more important operations were 
projected, for attacking the French forts along the Ohio. 
The conduct of the forces was intrusted to general Brad- 
dock; v»'ho, for that purpose, had been sent from Europe, 
with two regiments of foot. This officer, having passed the 
mountains at the head of twenty-two-hundred men, rapid- 
ly advanced to attack Fort du Quesne, the chief object of 
his enterprise. But, unfortunately, he did not use sufficient 
caution in reconnoitring the savage country ; a country with 
which he was as little acquainted, as with the nature of au 
American war; in which, the danger of surprise is perpetu- 
al, amongst woods, defiles, and morasses : and he was too 
proud to ask the advice of the provincial officers ; for whom 
he entertained a sovereign contempt. This enterprise ter- 
minated in an awful misfortune. Within ten miles of the 
fort, Braddock fell into an ambuscade of French and Indi- 
ans; and, after a gallant resistance, in which his obstinacy 
seemed to increase with the surrounding dangers, he was 
mortally w^ounded in the breast, and defeated with the loss 
of seven-hundred men killed. In this action, the Virginians 
and other provincials, were not in the least affected by the 
horrid yells of the Indians, which had paralysed the efforts 
of the Europeans; and young Washington again gave proofs 
of that bravery and presence of mind, which, amidst the 
most appalling conflicts, always accompanied him in his 
patriotic march. 

Meanwhile, both parties made extensive preparations for 
a vigorous struggle. Reinforcements successively arrived 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 207 

in America. A detachment of regulars and provincials, 
under colonel Monckton, quickly reduced the French forts 
in Nova Scotia, and restored in that province perfect tran- 
quillity. 

,-,- We shall now return to the affairs of Europe. 

The island of Minorca, which Ent^land had held for 
nearly fifty years, being threatened by the French, admiral 
Byng, son of the celebrated lord Torrington, was sent into 
the Mediterranean, to its relief, with a fleet of seventeen 
sail ; eleven of which were of the line. Prior to his arrival, 
the enemy had landed on the island fifteen-thousand men, 
and were besieging the castle of St. Philip, which com- 
mands the port and town of Mahon. On Byng's approach- 
ing the harbour, he had the satisfaction to see the British 
colours still flying on the castle ; but, notwithstanding this 
animating circumstance, his attempts to relieve it were 
feeble, and consequently ineffectual. When a French fleet, 
very little superior to his in force, advanced to prevent his 
landing troops, he remained at so great a distance, un- 
der pretence of preserving his line unbroken, that his divi- 
sion did very little damage to the enemy, and his own no- 
ble ship, of ninety guns, v/as never properly in the action. 
However, the division under admiral West defeated three 
of the French ships; and, if supported, would have gained 
a complete victory. Although the English fleet had lost 
only forty men, Byng retired to Gibraltar, and shamefully 
sufl'ered the whole island to be taken. The public voice 
being now loud against him, he was superseded by sir Ed- 
ward Hawke, and brought home to answer for his conduct. 
He was, accordingly, tried by a court martial, in Portsmouth 
harbour ; was found guilty, and shot in conformity with his 
awful sentence. 

Soon after that miscarriage, the king, urged by the cla- 
mours of the nation, which were first caused by the disa- 
greeable complexion of aff'airs in America, formed a new 
administration. William Pitt, the most popular man in 
England, accepted the office of secretary of state for the 
foreign department, in the place of Henry Fox; and Mr. 
Legge was made chancellor of the exchequer. 

The first measures of Mr. Pitt were highly patriotic and 
wise. He procured an order for sending home the foreign 
troops; so long and so justly odious to the kingdom ; and 
assisted in establishing a militia, nearly on the present foot* 
ing, as the best constitutional defence. 



208 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

,-^- The duke of Cumberland was now on the conti- 
nent for the purpose of guarding the Hanpverian do- 
minions. But his measures were injudicious, and ended in 
defeat. Being hard pressed by the duke de Richelieu, the 
conqueror of Minorca, he was under the necessity of sign- 
ing the singular convention of Clostcr-seven; by which, his 
army, of thirty-eight-lhousand foreigners, in Biiiish pay, 
was dissolved, and distributed into ciitierent places of can- 
tonment, without being disarmed, or considered as prisoners 
of war. After this unhappy occurrence, the Fiench w.^re, 
for a while, in possession of all Hanover. To this, succeed- 
ed several attempts on the maritime towns in France ; which, 
in general, -vv^ere unsuccessful : nor were affairs in America 
now more cheering. But, at sea, the gallant Hawke, and 
other brave men, sustained the honour of their flag: in the 
East Indies, the army were gaining ground, under colonel 
Clive, captain Coote, and their active associates ; and at 
Minden, in Westphalia, the British troops were highly dis- 
tinguished. Not even at Blenheim, was more heroism 
shown. The king of England having formed an alliance 
with the Prussian Monarch, (his nephew,) prince Frederick 
of Brunswick, was placed at the head of the combined forces ; 
of whicJi, the British infantry and two battalions of Hano- 
verians formed the centre. They were opposed at Minden 
by the French army, commanded by marshal Contades. 
After an obstinate engagement, the enemy, unable to with- 
stand the intrepid charges of the centre, were defeated ; 
with the loss of seven-thousand men, in killed, wounded, 
and prisoners. 

The vigorous and enterprising spirit of Mr. Pitt, seemed 
to communicate itself to all ranks and classes ; especially 
to the oflicers of the army and navy. In North America, 
where, in general, there had occurred delay, disaster, and 
disgrace, affairs assumed a most favourable aspect. The 
chief command in that c[uarter was now held by general 
Abercrombie; who divided his men, amounting to thirty- 
six-thousand, into three bodies — one division, of sixteen- 
thousand, headed by himself, in person: another, of twelve- 
thousand, by general Amherst ; and the third, of eight- 
thousand, by general Forbes. The first was destined against- 
Ticonderoga and Crown Point : the second against Louis- 
bourg, the capital of Cape Breton : the last against Fort 
du Quesne. — Amherst, aided by a large fleet under Bos- 
cawen, gained possession of the whole island of Cape Bre- 
ton, and all the inferior stations in the gulph of St. Law- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 209 

rencc. But Abercrombie was not successful : having made 
a rash attack upon Ticonderoga, he was driven off with 
considerable loss. Amherst, however, subsequently cap- 
tured both this place and Crown Point ; meeting scarcely 
any opposition. General Forbes marched from Philadel- 
phia against Fort du Quesne, through a tract of country 
very little known, and almost impassable, by reason of woods, 
mountains, and morasses ; and, after incredible exertions, 
surmounted every difficulty, though continually harassed 
by the Indians ; and took possession of the place. Fort da 
Quesne, which then received the name of Fort Pitt, is the 
site of the present Pittsburgh. 

.^ Q The most brilliant achievement during this war, 
was the capture of Quebec. This city, the capital 
of Lower Canada, is built chiefly upon a steep rock, at the 
confluence of the rivers St. Lav/rence and St. Charles. 
Naturally strong from its situation, it had received every 
additional strength which the art of war could give ; and 
was still further defended by its numerous garrison, the 
bravery of its inhabitants, and a force, superior to the assail- 
ants, advantageously posted in its neighbourhood, com- 
manded by the gallant marquis de Montcalm. The reduc- 
tion of this place, upon the fate of which important conse- 
quences depended, was intrusted to general Wolfe; a young 
officer, of amiable manners, already distinguished in several 
engagements; beloved and respected by his army and his 
country. His land forces did not exceed seven-thousand 
men, British and Americans. 

Passing over some bold but unsuccessful operations, in 
which the enterprising commander lost about five-hundred 
men, and was reduced to an alarming situation, bordering 
on despair, we shall proceed to the attack. 

The French commander, being apprehensive that the in- 
vaders might make a distant landing, and come on the back 
of the city, detached M. de Bougainville, with fifteen-hun- 
dred men, to watch their motions. Meantime, a daring 
plan was formed, by the three English brigadier generals, 
Monckton, Townshcnd, and Murray, and presented to the 
commander in. chief; which was, to land the troops in the 
night, under the heights of Abraham, a little above the 
town ; in hopes of climbing the rugged ascent before morn- 
ing. The very boldness of this plan, which was made whilst 
Wolfe was confined by sickness, recommended it to his 
intrepid and generous spirit.~The stream was rapid, the 
shore shelving, the intended landing-place so narrow, as to 



210 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

be easily missed in the dark ; and the ascent so difficult, as 
hardly to be surmounted in the day-time, even when unop- 
posed. The French general could not think that such an 
approach would be attempted. — Wolfe is amongst the first 
that leap on shore : colonel Howe, with the Highlanders 
and light intantry, lead the way up the hill; and the whole 
army gain the summit before break of day. — The French 
general is amazed, astonished ! But he hesitates not a mo- 
raent. When he finds that a battle cannot prudently be 
avoided, he bravely puts his troops in motion, and hastens 
to the attack. — At first, the British sutTered severely by a 
galling fire from the marksmen placed in the corn-fields 
and bushes on the enemy's front. However, when the 
main body of the French came up, they were so warmly 
assailed by a shower of bullets, that they soon gave way. 
At this moment, general Wolfe, whilst pressing on at the 
head of his grenadiers, received a fatal shot in his breast, 
and fell in the arms of victory. — On the other side, the 
brave Montcalm and his second in command were killed. — 
Under all the agonies of death, Wolfe's anxiety for the suc- 
cess of the day was unabated. When told, that the enemy 
were entirely routed, and fled on ail sides, — '' Then," said 
he, " I am happy ;" and he instantly expired. Five days 
afterwards, Quebec surrendered ; and, before the termina- 
tion of the following year, Montreal, Detroit, Michili- 
machinac, and every other place within the government of 
Canada. It was stipulated, that their garrisons should be 
conveyed to France; and that the Canadians should be se- 
cured in their property, and in the free exercise of their 
religion. 

At length, the town of New Orleans, and a few planta- 
tions on the Mississippi, were all that remained to France, 
of her numerous settlements in North America. 

Meanwhile, the French talked loudly of retaliating the 
several insulls on her coast, by invading, at the same time, 
England, Scotland, and Ireland. For that purpose, they as- 
sembled large bodies of troops, and collected men of war, 
transports, and flat-bottomed boats, into their principal sea- 
ports. In order to defeat their intention, powerful fleets 
were sent from England, under Rodney, Boscawen, and 
Hawke ; by whose vigilance, supported by the brave con- 
duct of their seamen, all the enemy's vessels were either 
sunk, taken, or dispersed. Hawke came up with twenty- 
one sail of the line and four frigates, under De Conflans, 
between Belleisle and Cape Quiberon. The French admi- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. m 

ral, afraid to engage the English, tried to avoid a battle, by 
keeping on a lee-shore, thick with rocks and shoals, with 
which he was well acquainted. Hawke, however, regard- 
less of every peril, bore down upon the enemy, and ordered 
the pilot to lay his own ship, the Royal George, along side 
that of the French admiral, named the Royal Sun. Con- 
flans did not decline the combat : bui a French captain 
gallantly threw his vessel between them ; and one broadside 
ft'om the Royal George sent his noble ship Le Thesee, 
with him and all his crew, to the bottom. The Royal Sun 
drove ashore ; many others shared the same fate; and the 
remainder of the enemy were indebted to a tempestuous 
night for their escape. 

.^. Thurot, rendered famous by his privateering ad- 

ventures, had got out of Dunkirk a little before Con- 
flans left Brest. His squadron consisted of one ship of 
forty-four guns, called the Belleisle, and four small frigates; 
carrying twelve-hundred land fordjlf^ After a series of dis- 
asters, owing to inclement weather, in which he parted 
with one of his ships, he sailed for the coast of Ireland, and 
made himself master of Carrickfergus. Having victualled 
his fleet and pillaged the town, he received intelligence of 
the defeat of Conilans, and then put to sea ; steering to- 
wards France. He was swiftly pursued by captain Elliot, 
with the iEolus, Pallas, and Brilliant frigates, and overtak- 
en near the Isle of Man. The force on each side was nearly 
equal; and the engagement that followed was sanguinary 
and obstinate. The death of Thurot determined the con- 
test. The Belleisle struck her colours, and the rest of 
the French squadron followed her example. 

Great Britain was now every where victorious. She had 
not only destroyed the power of France in North America, 
but had reduced it in the East and West Indies, and in Af- 
rica; and she triumphed on the waves. Yet all these con- 
quests were thought insufficient by the people. They com- 
plained that some islands in the West Indies were still in 
possession of the French. With more justice, they were 
incensed, that the war in Germany was continued, for the 
protection of Hanover, and the assistance of Prussia. 

In the midst of this clamour, the king, on the 25th of 
October, was suddenly taken ill, and almost instantly ex- 
pired, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, and thirty- 
fourth of his reign. "His character," according to an im- 
partial historian, " is by no means complicated. Violent 
T 



212 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

in his temper, but humane and candid in his disposition, if 
he failed to command the respect of those \vho were about 
his person, he conciliated their affection. If his under- 
standing was not very capacious, his judgment was sound; 
and if he had little of the munificence of a great monarch, 
he possessed the economy of a prudent prince." 

This reign is distinguished by many writers of eminence. 
The poets are, Somerville, and Christopher Pitt; West, 
Collins, and Shenstone; Young, Akenside, and Gray; Her- 
vey and Aaron Hill; Carey, Southern, and Allan Ramsay. 
Hoadly, Simpson, and Maclaurin, were mathematicians ; 
anatomy and physic engrossed the talents of Fordyce and 
Cheyne, Monro, Cheselden and Meade. In his " Chace,'* 
Somerville delights and interests us by his animated and 
correct description of the various modes of hunting in dif- 
ferent countries. — Pitt is known chiefly as a translator. 
His versions of the jEneid and V^ida's Art of Poetry, are 
harmonious and corrtH^n The former is, by many judici- 
ous critics, preferred to that of Dryden. — West has given 
an elegant translation of Pindar; and some valuable works 
on religion. — Collins was a man of extensive learning, and 
vigorous faculties ; but he has left no works of import- 
ance. — The poems of Shenstone consist of elegies, odes, 
moral pieces, humorous sallies, and ballads. His delight 
was in rural pleasures, and in rural elegance ; to enliven 
the prospect and diversify the surface of his grounds, by 
forming the tedious labyrinth, and winding the channel of 
the brook. — In the Universal Passion, Night Thoughts, 
and Revenge, of Doctor Young, there is a copious dis- 
play of the highest order of talent. The first, for which 
he received three-thousand pounds, is a species of satire, 
between that of Horace and that of Juvenal. It is related 
of Young, that one day, being much engaged in reading a 
book, he wandered, with it in his hand, into a military camp ; 
where he had much difficulty in proving that he was only 
an absent poet, and not a spy.— Akenside is best known by 
his Pleasures of the Imagination ; and Gray, by his Elegy 
in a Church Yard ; both of which are esteemed classical 
productions. 

Eminent, however, as were those candidates for poetic 
fJime, the genius of Great Britain was still more highly 
displayed, by writers of a different class. As a divine, 
whose learning was solely employed in critical researches 
appertaining to his own profession, Doctor Lowth must be 
considered in the very first rank. Samuel Clarke, also. 



•'mSTORY OF ENGLAND. 213 

was a critical divine, and published improved editions of 
CsEsar's Commentaries, and Homer. 

Richardson was intended to transmit his name to futuri- 
ty by exercising his talents in a less serious description of 
literature. This celebrated author, though acquainted 
with no language but his own, stands in the very first order 
of English writers. His epistolary novels — Pamela, Cla- 
rissa, and sir Charles Grandison, have given him a just 
claim to the title of founder of that species of amusement. 
— Fielding, as a novelist, is not inferior to Richardson. 
His characters are his own, and drawn with the pencil of 
a master. He does not, however, rest his fame on his 
novels, alone: before he reached his thirtieth year, he 
had written no less than eighteen pieces for the stage ; 
several of which have remained in public estimation — 
Scotland has great reason to boast of Smollett. He is no 
less remarkable for the greatness, than for the versatility, of 
his genius. Educated as a surgeon, he served in that ca- 
pacity at the siege of Carthagena; and, in his Roderick 
Random, has given us an account of his expedition. His 
early adventures seem to have impressed him with that ex- 
traordinary turn for displaying the human character in so 
many different situations, and in so just a colouring. But, 
to the work already mentioned, as well as his Peregrine 
Pickle, Count Fathom, sir Launcelot Greaves, and Hum- 
phrey Clinker, some objections may be made, respecting 
their occasional want of delicacy. We are much indebted 
to him, however, for his fine translations of Gil Bias, Don 
Quixote, and Telemachus ; but do not so highly admire his 
continuation of Hume's History of England. 

At Oxford, were first promulgated the doctrine and dis- 
cipline of the numerous sect called Methodists; an appel- 
lation given to them on account of the rigid system which 
they pursued. Whitfield and the Wesleys may be consid- 
ered as the great extenders of their church, though it is 
said that Law was the original founder. Georgia, the last 
settled of all the English colonies now under the govern- 
ment of the. United States, was planted in the reign of 
George the second. The first governor was general Ogle- 
thorpe; who, with about one-hundred poor people, began 
his operations on Savannah river. 

In 1752, the year commenced, in England, on the first of 
January, instead of the twenty-fifth of March; and the 
third of September was reckoned as the fourteentli: by the 
latter change, correcting an error in the kalendar, which 



214 HISTORY OF ENGLAND*. 

had been increasing for many ages. This alteration, call- 
ed the Gregorian, or new style, had not been adopted in 
any of the protestant states until the year 1700 ; nor is it 
yet used in the Russian empire. 

The erection of Westminster bridge, over the Thames, 
was completed in 1750, after nearly twelve years. being em- 
ployed in its erection. This magnificent and useful build- 
ing would do honour to the taste and public spirit of any 
age or people. It consists of fifteen semi-circular arches, 
is more than twelve-hundred feet in length, and costthrec- 
hundred-and-ninety-thousand pounds sterling. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

GEORGE THE THIRD. 

FIRST rjRT. 

AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

1760 — 1820. 

IF the glory of a nation can justly be estimated 
' by its success in arms, the British empire was now 
a brilliant object of admiration. The martial spirit of the- 
people, directed by accomplished leaders, supported by 
immense resources, which were industriously concentrated, 
and skilfully applied by a patriotic minister, gave to the 
young sovereign an exalted situation. 

George the third, who ascended the throne in his twen- 
ty-third year, the first prince of the Brunswick line that 
was born in England, was son of the late Frederick, prince 
of Wales, and grand-son of George the second. In the 
ensuing year, he was married lo the princess Charlotte of 
Mecklenburg-Strelitz; and their coronation was perform- 
ed with the usual magnificence, in Westminster Abbey. 
As yet, he was little known by the people. Brought up in 
retirement, introduced neither to the pleasures nor the 
business of a court, it seemed a leading object in his edu- 
cation, to preserve him from the contaminating allure- 
ments, thrown, at an early age, in the way of a royal heir. 
The attention thus devoted to his welfare, was not un- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 213 

profitably given. Whatever political impropriety we can 
discover, through the almost impenetrable veil of ministe- 
rial management, we can still trace the benefits of a careful 
superintendence, in his morals. 

No immediate change occurred, either in the national 
policy, or in the cabinet. One of the first acts of royalty, 
was introducing into the privy council the earl of Bute; a 
nobleman who enjoyed an ascendency over the king's 
mind, in consequence of the office which he had held in 
directing his education ; a duty which he apparently dis- 
charged with fidelity, however we may find occasion to 
condemn his conduct in public. In the following spring, 
the parliament, after appropriating the sum of eight-hun- 
dred-thousand pounds as the annual expenditure of the 
civil list, passed an act, in accordance with the king's re- 
commendation, which gave additional security to the inde- 
pendence of the judges ; by continuing their commissions 
during good behaviour, without being liable to removal on 
the death of the sovereign ; a salutary amendment to the 
regulations made in the reign of William the third. Some 
changes ensued in the administration. Mr. Legge was re- 
moved from the office of chancellor of the exchequer, and 
was succeeded by lord Barrington. The earl of Bute was 
made one of the secretaries of state, and the vice-royalty of 
Ireland was conferred on lord Halifax. 

. An expedition, secretly prepared in the spring, 

sailed in the month of March from Spithead, under 
the orders of commodore Keppel and general Hodgson, 
and in a few days arrived oW Belleisle on the coast of Brit- 
tany. The first attempt to land was defeated. The next, 
however, was successful ; but, so resolutely was the place 
defended, that two months were employed in its reduction. 
In the East and the West Indies, the British still main- 
tained an overwhelming superiority. 

During these hostilities, the belligerents were anxiously 
attentive to promote a peace. Negotiations were for some 
time going forward. Although the conduct to be observ- 
ed with respect to the German allies, was a matter of con- 
siderable difficulty, the English ministers having declared 
their resolution of preserving their faith with the king of 
Prussia and the neighbouring princes ; yet that obstacle 
was gradually removing. But, unfortunately, the French 
diplomatists introduced a highly offensive subject, relating 
to the aftairs of Spain ; a power then neutral, and of course 
not directly concerned in the deliberations. The interfcr» 
T 2 



216 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ence arose from a family connexion between the Frencli 
and Spanish courts; which had long been a source of jeal- 
ousy to Great Britain. Cordiality and confidence, there- 
fore, were now destroyed, and the negotiation terminated. 

The active and provident mind of Mr. Pitt conceiving 
that Spain intended, on the first favourable moment, to be- 
come a party in the contest, he urged the policy of includ- 
ing that country in the war. But this measure his col- 
leagues opposed, as not only rash, but unjustifiable. 
Wherefore, finding himself unable to carry his point, and 
being, from his temper and long continued success, inca- 
pable of bearing contradiction, he resigned his situation, 
and the office of principal secretary of state was given to 
lord Egremont. 

Although the measure proposed by Mr. Pitt, of an im- 
mediate attack on Spain, -svhen considered with the cool re- 
flection of an experienced politician, could not be declared 
one of necessity; nor, when judged by the imperious dic- 
tates of morality, could not be recommended ; yet, his pro- 
phetic notice of that country's hostile inclination was cor- 
rect. As soon as the negotiation with France was broken 
off, the behaviour of the Spanish court left no doubt on the 
minds of the British cabinet of its intention, and lord Bris- 
tol, the ambassador at Madrid, suddenly took leave. The 
, „ - usual festivities of the new year were scarcely ended, 
when war was formally declared. Though already 
loaded with heavy charges ; burthened by an accumulating 
debt; without any expectation of assistance in the contest; 
this great accession of hazard seemed little to affect the 
spirits of the nation. Indeed, a war with Spain is generally 
popular in England ; where, she is viewed, especially b)* 
the navy, rather as a tempting prey than a formidable an- 
tagonist. This dangerous, demoralizing avidity, first taught 
a people by their monarchs, and now influencing many \vh© 
lx>ast a higher degree of public virtue than is supposed to 
prevail in Europe, is the despicable feeling of a pirate, not 
the noble impulse of an offended patriot. 

In expectation of this rupture, it had been determined to 
curtail the power of France in the West Indies. Accord- 
ingly, twelve-thousand troops under Monckton, and eight- 
een ships of the line commanded by Rodney, were sent 
against Martinico. A landing being easily made, the army 
proceeded to Fort Royal; a place guarded by a strong cit- 
adel, and by two powerful batteries. These, however, were 
ivith great intrepidity taken by storm. The town then cap- 



HISTORY OP*^ ENGLAND. m 

itulated. St. Pierre, the capital, was the next object of at- 
tack : but further operations became unnecessary, as the 
governor of the colony surrendered the whole island. This 
success was followed by the easy acquisition of all its de- 
pendencies ; and thus, the whole Caribeean chain were now 
under the British dominion. 

The next object of attack, in that quarter of the globe, 
was Havanna ; the centre of the Spanish trade and naviga- 
tion in the West Indies. The fleet destined for this import- 
ant and dangerous service, consisted of nineteen ships of 
the line, eighteen small armed vessels, and one-hundred- 
and-fifty transports; carrying fourteen-thousand land forces : 
the former, under the direction of admiral Pococke ; the lat- 
ter, under general lord Albemarle. Fort Moro, which was 
considered as almost impregnable, haviiig been stormed 
through a breach made by springing a mine, Havanna, with 
a district extending one-hundred-and-eighty miles, was 
yielded to the victors. A richer conquest has rarely been 
effected. Besides fourteen ships of the line, and four frig- 
ates, the British deprived the enemy of money and merch- 
andise amounting to three-millions sterling. In the same 
month, an armament sailed from Madras, commanded by- 
admiral Cornish and colonel sir William Draper, against 
Luconia, the principal of the Philippine islands. Having 
stormed the capital, Manilla, they made an agreement with 
its inhabitants, by which their lives, liberties, and property, 
were allowed them, on their promising a ransom of one- 
million sterling. With the surrender of the capital were 
included the whole country and depending settlements. 
The ransom, however, was never paid. 

By the rupture with Spain, an ancient ally of Great Brit- 
ain was involved in war. This was Portugal ; a country 
gradually declining into disorganization and debility. A 
memorial, inviting the king of Portugal to join the alliance 
against England, had been presented by the ambassadors of 
France and Spain: but, as he refused compliance, his ter- 
ritories were invaded by a powerful army. However, by the 
assistance of a British force under general Burgoyne, the 
feeble Portuguese were saved from the impending ruin. 

Lord Bute's preponderating influence on the king's mind 
being very sensibly felt by his ministerial colleagues, an 
extensive change occurred in the members of the govern- 
ment. The duke of Newcastle, who held the post of first 
commissioner of the treasury, usually, though not always, 
Gonsidered, as giving the title of *' premier," retired, and 



]is HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

was succeeded by the favourite. The new minister, either 
from the increased difficulty of continuing the war in the 
face of a powerful opposition, or a desire of relieving the 
nation from its burthens, was induced to treat for peace. 
In this measure, the Bourbon courts agreeing, it was not 
difficult to accomplish so happy an event. Preliminaries, 
afterwards ratified, were signed at Fontainblcau on the third 
of November. The most important articles related to North 
America. The French ceded to Great Britain the entire 
province of Canada, and that part of Louisiana situated east 
of the Mississippi ; together with Cape Breton and the other 
islands in the gulf of St. Lawrence. Spain yielded East and 
West Florida, and all her possessions east and south-east 
of the Mississippi ; and confirmed to the English a claim of 
cutting logwood on the coast of Honduras. In return, she 
obtained restitution of Havanna, and all the other conquests 
in the late war. 

In this treaty, the interests of Frederick were not entire- 
ly neglected. France was withdrawn from the German war, 
so that Austria and Prussia were left to settle their quarrel 
by themselves; and, before the close of the year, an adjust- 
ment was signed at Hubertsburg, giving the latter quiet 
possession of all the territory belonging to her at the com- 
mencement of hostilities. 
_ The winding up of the war expenses, as usual, 

exhibited large arrears of debt. To satisfy this, new 
financial schemes were tried. Amongst these, was a tax of 
four shillings a hogshead on cider, to be paid by the mak- 
er ; a most unfeeling and impolitic tax. For, surely, no im- 
posts can offer a greater outrage on the happiness and do- 
mestic rights of mankind, than such as give an excise offi- 
cer admission to a dwelling — the boasted " castle" of a free- 
man. This obnoxious measure did not pass without strenu- 
ous opposition. Lord Bute resigned his place, and was suc- 
ceeded by Mr. George Grenville. 

But the infiuence of the ex-minister was not, it was sup- 
posed, lessened by his retirement. He was stili the object 
of much virulent, and perhaps merited, abuse. Of this, the 
chief vehicle was the '^ North Briton ;" a periodical publi- 
cation set up by Mr. Wilkes, in opposition to the " Briton," 
conducted by Smollett, which advocated the measures of 
lord Bute. 
^^.. This period will long be remembered. Events of 

1764. . , . , ^ r. ^, ^ -1 

smgular nnportance arose trom the tyrannical sys- 
tem of finance which now commenced. A severe, but salu- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 219 

lary lesson, was given to a misguided sovereign. A lively- 
prospect of relief was opened to the future exertions of the 
C/ppressed. The bold experiment began, of laying taxes on 
the North American Colonies. For levying them, the naval 
commanders on the American coast were sworn to act as 
revenue officers; the result of which measure was the con- 
demnation of many cargoes, without any means of redress 
in England. 

In the following winter ; an interesting character 

departed. The chevalier St. George, son of James 

the second, ended an anxious existence, at Rome, in the 

seventy-eighth year of his age ; leaving two sons — Charles, 

the adventurer of 1745, and Henry, cardinal York.* 

The marquis of Rockingham was now at the head of the 
treasury: the duke of Grafton and general Conway were 
secretaries of state. By the repeal of the cider tax, and a 
modification of the obnoxious colonial imposts, the Rock- 
ingham party obtained the general approbation of the peo- 
ple. This, however, did not insure them the favour of the 
court. The whole tenor of their administration was by no 
means pleasing to the sovereign ; or, at least, to those by 
whom he was secretly advised. Another change was made. 
The duke of Grafton was appointed in the room of Rock- 
ingham ; and Mr. Pitt, now raised to the title of earl of 
Chatham, received the office of lord privy seal, and was re- 
garded as the leading minister. 

In the house of commons, this great statesman had op- 
posed, by his uncommon powers of eloquence, the princi- 
ples of colonial taxation. Alluding to the spirit which that 
obnoxious measure had excited, "I rejoice," said he, "that 
America has resisted. Three-millions of the people, so dead 
to all feelings of liberty, as voluntarily to submit to be slaves, 
would have been lit instruments to make slaves of all the 
rest." 

In the East Indies, a new foe was added, to those already 
raised by commercial avidity and national ambition. We 
mean Hyder Ally ; an adventurer, who, from the humble 
condition of a private soldier, was now a powerful prince, 
in possession of a large tract of the Malabar coast. 
Near Trincomalee, this extraordinary man was, how- 
ever, entirely defeated by colonel Smith, and sought a tem- 
porary safety in the mountains ; from which, having de- 

• Charles difd at Kome, in 1788; and Cardinal York, the last of 
that royal house, about the year 181U. 



220 HISTORY OF ENGLANB. 

scended, he was in the following year again beaten, by cole- 
nel Wood. 

Soon after this, Great Britain was surprised by another 
change in the cabinet. Treated with disregard, either on 
account of his bodily infirmities, or his stern, uncomplying 
disposition, lord Chatham resigned the national helm, and 
the privy seal was given to the earl of Bristol. 

But the agitation of the public mind made it ne- 
' ' cessary for the king to make a further experiment. 
This ferment arose from the distracted state of the Ameri- 
can colonies, and a remarkable struggle between the house 
of commons and Mr. Wilkes. Many resignations occurred. 
Amongst the number, the duke of Grafton made room for 
lord North ; who then commenced his long prime-ministry. 
Mr. Wilkes, who has been already m.entioned, as editor of 
the North Briton, was at one time lord mayor of London, 
and was distinguished for the long political warfare which 
he sustained against the court, and the government influ- 
ence in the house of commons. His contest with colonel 
Luttrel, (afterwards lord Carhampton,) who, by an extra- 
ordinary stretch of parliamentary law, was admitted to take 
his seat for Middlesex, in preference to Mr. Wilkes, the 
fairly chosen member, is an important occurrence in the 
history of England ; and occupies a large portion of the cel- 
ebrated letters published with the name of Junius. 
p._ In the month of February, a message from the 

king to both houses excited considerable interest. 
The immediate cause of this arose from two marriages 
lately contracted by his two brothers, the duke of Glouce- 
ster with lady Waldegrave, and the duke of Cumberland 
with a widov/ lady, INlrs. Norton, Accordingly, a bill was 
enacted, which, with some limitations, rendered void all 
marriages of the royal family, made without the king's con- 
sent, formally declared in council. 

The situation of the colonies now claims undivided atten- 
tion. For several years past, a high degree of agitation ex- 
isted in America. But, that we might exhibit a narration 
so very important, uninterrupted, and detached as much as 
possible from the affairs of Europe, the history of the col- 
onial misunderstanding has been, in a great measure, post- 
poned. 

Although the general feeling in England and America 
had caused the repeal of some of the iniquitous impositions, 
amongst which was a stamp-tax, yet the right of levying 
taxes was not abandoned by the court. Accordingly, (in 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 22 i 

1767,) Charles Townshend, procured an act for laying du- 
ties on glass, paper, painters' colours and tea, when import- 
ed into the colonies. This revived the former discontents. 
At a public meeting of the inhabitants of Boston, measures 
■were adopted for the encouragement of home-manufactures, 
and the promotion of frugality, by restraining the use of 
foreign superfluities. This salutary example was followed 
in the other provinces. In the ensuing spring, the ferment 
was increasing : by the king's order, the assembly of Mas- 
sachusetts was dissolved: most of the colonies determined 
against importing any English goods, during the existing 
duties : the people of Boston again convened, and resolved 
to prepare arms and ammunition ; and a convention from 
ninety-six townships, held in that city, sent a statement of 
their transactions to England. In September, a detach- 
ment of artillery arrived from Halifax ; and, soon afterwards, 
general Gage appeared, with two regiments from Ireland. 
These seem to have produced a temporary calm, as the re- 
mainder of the year passed in tranquillity. 

Yielding a little to the mercantile voice, lord North with- 
drew the obnoxious imposts, on all the articles except tea; 
the duty on which was retained, apparently for the pur- 
pose of still asserting the right of taxation. This impolitic 
measure was a source of perpetual enmity, and caused in 
several colonies the importation of tea to be prohibited. At 
length, a regulation, providing that the salaries of provin- 
cial governors and judges should be paid by the king, at 
whose will they could, at any moment, be removed, aggra- 
vated the public jealousy and dissatisfaction. — The tenden- 
,--o cy to riot was first displayed by an attack on a royal 
schooner posted at Providence in Rhode Island, to 
prevent smuggling. It was boarded by a number of armed 
men, who put the captain and crew on shore, and burned 
the vessel. The next indication of popular resentment oc- 
curred at Boston. On the eighteenth of December, a par- 
ty, disguised as Mohawk Indians, entered three ships laden 
"with tea, and threw their entire cargoes into the water. In 
consequence of this, the port was closed, the charter of 
Massachusets new-modeled by the British government, and 
additional forces were sent to general Gage, as governor of 
the province and commander in chief-— Matters daily grew 
more alarming — anarchy was rapidly increasing : general 
Gage fortified Boston neck, seized the militia-stores at 
Cambiidge, and conveyed them to Boston, 



222 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Early in September, a Congress, representing 
' ' twelve of the old colonies, was held at Philadelphia. 
The sentiments expressed by this respectable assembly 
were constitutional and loyal, sensible and manly, in lan- 
guage elegant and perspicuous. They expostulated, by 
letter, with the British general, on his hostile proceedings; 
published a declaration of rights, and an enumeration of 
grievances; recommended, as a means of obtaining redress, 
a non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption 
agreement, to which they bound themselves and their con- 
stituents ; and drew up a petition to the king, and a memo- 
rial to the English people. 

The sword was at length unsheathed. To it, re- 
mained the paramount decision. Civil warfare soon 
spread its desolating reign. When a party which general 
Gage had sent from Boston to seize the provincial stores 
at Concord, reached Lexington, a body of militia appeared, 
to arrest their progress. A short skirmish ensued, in which 
several of the latter were killed. The royal detachment 
then proceeded; and, having destroyed some amm^unition 
at Concord, they were attacked, and commenced a retreat, 
which was a continued battle. At sunset, they arrived at 
Charlestown, near Boston ; having lost, in killed, wounded, 
and prisoners, nearly three-hundred men. After this, the 
whole province was roused : twenty-thousand militia invest- 
ed Boston; a small party, under colonels Allen and Arnold, 
surprised Ticonderoga; and Crown Point was taken by 
colonel Warner. 

The congress, having assembled a second time, chose 
Mr. Hancock president, and took the most effectual meas- 
ures for defending the United Colonies. 

Near the end of May, the English generals, Howe, Bur- 
goyne, and Clinton, arrived at Boston, with large reinforce- 
ments, and the harbour was filled with ships of war. 

Further hostilities, were, of course, mutually expected. 
The post of Charlestown, separated from Boston only by 
Charles River, being considered by the Americans an im- 
portant acquisition, they sent a party, at night, to throw up 
works upon a hill commanding the isthmus which joins the 
peninsula to the continent. 

This was effected, on Breed's, instead of Bunker's Hill, 
with so great silence and expedition, that, before day-break, 
the defences were nearly completed. A heavy cannonade 
soon poured in from the vessels in the harbour; and, about 
noon, a strong body of troops, under Howe and Pigot, was 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 223 

sent to storm the place. As they approached, so hot and 
well directed a fire was opened against them, that they 
were thrown into confusion, and, for a while, general Howe 
was left nearly alone. Being, however, soon rallied, they 
made a furious attack on the American works, and forced 
them at every quarter. The loss of the British, in killed 
and wounded, was above one-thousand men — about a third 
of their entire number: that of the provincials, above four- 
hundred. Amongst the latter, was the brave general War- 
ren, universally lamented by his countrymen. But this 
defeat was not sufficient to dishearten the Americans. They 
immediately afterwards formed redoubts in another situa- 
tion. 

In October, general Gage having returned to England, 
the command of the British devolved on Howe. 

Meanwhile, Georgia had joined the continental alliance^ 
The Thirteen United Colonies were, New Hampshire, Mas- 
sachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut ; New York, New 
Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware ; Maryland, Virginia, 
North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The era of 
their determined struggle now arrived. At the head of 
their armies was placed George Washington ; already ex- 
perienced, and not less eminent as a soldier, than respecta- 
ble as a country gentleman. 

This year terminated in an unsuccessful attempt made 
by the Americans on Quebec. General Montgomery, after 
capturing fort St. John and Montreal, having attacked that 
city by escalade, was, with most of the men near his per- 
son, killed upon the spot, and a division of his army was 
taken prisoners. The next important occurrence was the 
jw^- evacuation of Boston. On the 17th of March, that 
town was entered by Washington. In the month of 
.Tune, generals Clinton and Cornwallis, aided by a fleet un- 
der sir Peter Parker, attacked Sullivan's Island, in South 
Carolina, in hopes of forcing their way into Charleston, but 
were obliged to retire, after considerable loss. 

At length, the flame of patriotism could neither be ex- 
tinguished by the terrors of an army, nor damped by the 
experiments of temporizing duplicity. The harshness of 
the parent had rent the bands of natural afTection, and her 
children no longer owed her either duty or respect. On 
the 4th of July, the colonies renounced their allegiance to 
Great Britain, and signed a Declaration of Independence. 
This celebrated declaration, drawn by the philosophic Jef- 
ferson, gives a particular detail of their grievances, and 



224 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

has these memorable sentiments ; « We hold these truths 
to be self evident — that all men are created equal : that 
they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain un- 
alienable rights : that, amongst these, are life, liberty, and 
the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, 
governments are instituted amongst men ; deriving their 
just powers from the consent of the governed ; that, when- 
ever any form of government becomes destructive of these 
ends, it is the right of the people to alter, or abolish it, and 
to institute a new government ; laying its foundation upon 
such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as 
to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and 
happiness." 

In the remainder of this, and throughout the succeeding 
year, the chief military operations occurred at Long Island, 
Trenton, and Bennington; Saratoga, Brandywine, and Ger- 
mantown ; with various success ; but, on the whole, ra- 
ther in favour of the British. However, the spirit of the 
great Frederick, divested of its impurities, seemed diffused 
amongst the colonies. Their energies, unrelaxed by dis- 
appointment, arose more vigorous after every misfortune ; 
and an event, which lord Chatham had predicted, inspired 
them with additional hope. On the 6th of February, 
' the American commissioners at Paris concluded a 
treaty with Louis, which was productive of most important 
benefit, from the aid aiforded them, in extensive naval co- 
operation, in military stores, and a large reinforcement of 
veteran troops. — Of all the French officers in this war, the 
marquis La Fayette was the most distinguished, and the 
most entitled to the gratitude of America. His services 
were rendered from a pure love of liberty. But the same 
cannot be said of Louis. His aid was given through oppo- 
sition to England ; not through affection towards the op- 
pressed. 

Other events, too, concurred in favour of the colonies. 
The summer had scarcely commenced, before Spain, on 
some slight and general charges, declared war against the 
British ; and in the course of the revolutionary contest, Hol- 
land was added to the number of their antagonists. Thus, 
was England engaged, at the same time, with four enemies ; 
without a single ally, except some German mercenaries. 

The next principal occurrences were at Monmouth, Sa- 
vannah, Stoney-Point, and Charleston ; Waxsaw, Camden, 
Broad River, Guilford, Eutaw Springs, and Yovktown. 

Although the latter was not the closing scene of this san- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 225 

guinary contest, yet it was there that the Americans gave 
the decisive blow. Lord Cornwallis having fixed on York- 
town, situated on the peninsula between York and James 
rivers in Virginia, as a place the best adapted to his plans, 
took post there, with about seven-thousand chosen troops, 
and commenced the necessary fortifications. In the mean 
time, Washington, always vigilant and active, spread a re- 
port, that his next object of attack was New York, and that 
he had relinquished his intention of marching to relieve 
Virginia. In conjunction, therefore, with the French com- 
mander, Rochambeau, having given a hot alarm to that city, 
he suddenly crossed North River, proceeded through New 
Jersey to Philadelphia, thence to the head of Elk River on 
the Chesapeake ; and, after there embarking a division of 
his troops, pursued his march, with the main body, through 
Baltimore, to Annapolis, in Maryland. — The French admi- 
ral, De Grasse, having entered the Chesapeake, with twen- 
ty-eight sail of the line, sent the welcome news of his arri- 
val to the combined army ; blocked up York River, and 
occupied James River, to a considerable extent, to prevent 
Cornwallis attempting a retreat to Carolina. Soon after- 
wards, a partial and indecisive engagement took place ofF 
the mouth of the Bay, between the French and the English 
fleet ; the latter of twenty sail, under admiral Greaves ; when, 
the former being reinforced by a squadron from Rhode Island, 
the English returned to New York. From this time, De 
Grasse was entire master of the Chesapeake; and thus, all 
the hopes of the blockaded forces were destroyed. Invest- 
ed by an army more than double the number of his own ; 
with no better cover than earthen works, hastily thrown up, 
and assailed by nearly one-hundred pieces of heavy ord- 
nance, the British general surrendered, and all his troops 
became prisoners of war. 

Cornwallis, who, with all his officers, was set at liberty 
on parole, publicly acknowledged the liberal treatment ex- 
perienced by himself and his whole army. 

Meanwhile, the people of England were thrown into great 
alarm. An extensive plan had been formed, by the united 
powers of France and Spain, for an expedition to the Eng- 
lish coast; probably intending an invasion, should a favour- 
able opportunity occur. Accordingly, the combined fleets, 
above sixty in number, with a vast attendance of frigates 
and smaller armed vessels, having passed, unobserved, the 
English fleet of thirty-eight sail, under admiral Hardy, then 
rruizing in the Bay of Biscay, appeared for several days 



226 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

before Plymouth. But, fortunately for that depot, no at- 
tempt against it was made ; and the enemy, after suffering 
much from sickness, returned to Brest. 

Sir George Rodney, having been appointed, with a strong 
squadron, to the chief naval command in the West Indies, 
and ordered on his way thither to relieve Gibraltar, then 
closely blockaded by the Spaniards ; when only a few days 
at sea, captured a large convoy, bound from St. Sebastian 
to Cadiz. Their lading consisted principally of flour; which 
he sent to Gibraltar, at that time much in want of provi- 
sions. Off Cape St. Vincents, he encountered a Spanish 
fleet of eleven ships of the line ; seven of which, including 
the admiral's vessel, he captured or destroyed. Soon after- 
wards, admiral Parker had a severe action with the Dutch 
fleet, under Zoutman, on the Dogger Bank. They were 
of nearly equal force ; and, after an uninterrupted cannon- 
ading for three hours and a half, both squadrons lay like 
logs upon the water, incapable of further efforts. 

In the month of May following, the British lost the prov- 
ince of West Florida; one of the principal acquisitions re- 
tained by the treaty of Paris. 

Even their ancient possessions in the American seas were 
^vith difficulty preserved. Jamaica, however, was freed 
from its perilous situation by the bravery and good seaman- 
ship of Rodney; who, with thirty -six sail of the line, en- 
countered an equal force, commanded by the French admi- 
ral, De Grasse. In this action, which continued from seven 
in the morning until sunset, Rodney practised a new ma- 
noeuvre, since attended with so great success — that of 
breaking the enemy's line. Both sides displayed deter- 
mined courage. But, when the crew of De Grasse's ship, 
the Ville de Paris of one-hundred-and-twelve guns, had suf- 
fered prodigious carnage, he struck his flag to sir Samuel 
Hood, in another vessel, the Barfleur; and the French fleet, 
after losing five others, bore away for St. Domingo. 
^jon '^^^^ most interesting military scene, afforded in 
this year, was the siege of Gibraltar. Although the 
town had been already ruined, by the almost constant fir- 
ing of the Spaniards during upwards of three years, yet 
t>mall progress had been made in overpowering its terrific 
defences ; and a sally, made in the preceding November, by- 
its vigilant commander, general Elliot, had spread ruin 
through the nearest works of the besiegers. They were, 
however, still determined to persevere. To diffuse a spirit 
of enterprise in their army, twelve-thousand French troops 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 227 

were procured : the supreme command was given to the 
duke of Crillon ; and the plan of attack confided to the 
chevalier d'Arcon. The preparations now made, by land 
and water, were immense. Volunteers and spectators as- 
sembled from almost every part of Europe ; amongst wliom, 
were two French princes of the blood, the count d'Artois, 
and the duke of Bourbon. 

The grand project of d*Arcon was founded on the con- 
struction of floating batteries ; so contrived, that it was 
thought they could neither be sunk nor set on fire. Be- 
sides having timbers of extraordinary thickness, they were 
fortified, on the exposed side, by a wall of cork and soaked 
timber; between the layers of which, wet sand was inter- 
posed; whilst a circulation of water was provided through 
the entire mass. The vessels thus prepared, were ten 
ships, from six-hundred to fourteen-hundred tons burthen; 
cut down to accommodate the intended superstructure, 
and furnished with brass cannon of unusual weight. On the 
land side, new and powerful batteries Avere opened; and 
forty-eight sail of the line, with many smaller vessels, were 
brought to co-operate. — In the morning of the 13th of Sep- 
tember, the ten battering ships being moored in a line, 
from the old to the new mole, at nine-hundred yards from 
the Rock of Gibraltar, there instantly commenced a can- 
nonading and bombardment, by assailants and defenders, 
more tremendous and awful than the imagination can con- 
ceive. But the showers of red-hot shot, which issued from 
the walls, were not to be resisted by any efforts of human 
art. Confusion and distress were hourly augmenting : the 
/lames broke out from stem to stern ; all the vessels, in 
succession, blew up ; and not a vestige was left, on the fol- 
lowing day, of an apparatus so novel and formidable. 

When the affair was decided, the English displayed 
most generous conduct, in saving their enemies who were 
crying for help amidst the flames. 

The possibility of subduing the Americans at length be- 
came hopeless, even in the opinion of the crown; and 
opposition to the unhappy measures of administration 
was gradually increasing. The colonists had a large share 
of popular regard in England, and many of the most elo- 
quent senators espoused their cause. Edmund Burke and 
Charles James Fox, (son of Henry Fox, created lord Hol- 
land,) the ablest members of the lower house, had long 
combated the unjust proceedings, with a strength and 
brilliancy of argument, worthy of ancient Greece or Rome. 
U ?. 



:-2& HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

General Conway, too, was active on the side of justice. 
He succeeded in a motion, that an address should be pre- 
sented to the king, expressing a hope that a reconciliation 
might be effected ; to which, his majesty gave a satisfactory- 
reply. This interposition of the commons produced an 
agreeable effect : in a few days afterwards, the administra- 
tion was dissolved. The marquis of Rockingham was ap- 
pointed first lord of the treasury, the earl of Sheiburne and 
Mr. Fox were made secretaries of state : lord Cambden, INIr. 
Burke, Richard Brindesly Sheridan, the duke of Grafton, 
lord John Cavendish, admiral Keppel, and the duke of 
Richmond, also, were members of the new government. 
The command of the forces was given to general Conway, 
the vice royalty of Ireland to the duke of Portland, and 
lord Thurlow was coiuinued in the office of chancellor. 

Several highly commendable measures of economy and 
reform succeeded. Revenue officers were disqualified from 
voting at parliamentary elections, public contractors rend- 
ered incapable of sitting in the house of commons, and 
many sinecures abolished. 

But, whilst engaged in these laudable improvements, the 
new ministry received a fatal blow, by the death of the pre- 
mier, lord Rockingham. To the vacant place at the head 
of the treasury, the earl of Sheiburne was advanced; which 
appointment was followed by the resignation of the most 
distinguished members of administration ; amongst whom, 
■were Cavendish, and Fox; Burke, Sheridan, and the duke 
of Portland. William Pitt, second son of lord Chatham, 
(who died in 1778,) was made chancellor of the exchequer, 
and lord Temple succeeded to the government of Ireland. 
The former, afterwards so celebrated, had already given a 
favourable specimen of his oratorical powers, in several de- 
bates in favour of reform. 

The pacific inclination to which we have alluded, aided 
by the mediation of Russia and Austria, happily produced 
a termination of hostilities. The dispute between Great 
Britain and her colonies was the first subject of attention, 
and the first matter that was accommodated. On the 
thirtieth of November, preliminaries were arranged at Pa- 
ris. By these, the Independence of the Thirteen United 
States was acknowledged ; many concessions were made 
to the new republic; amongst which, was the right offish- 
ing on the banks of Newfoundland, and on all other fishing 
grounds previously frequented by Americans. This memor- 
able adjustment was ratified in the autumn of the following 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 229 

year; and, at the same time, clcfinitive treaties were signed 
with all the other belligerents. On the part of England, the 
commissioners were, Mr. Fitzherbert and Mr. Oswald. 
Those of America were Dr. Franklin, Messrs. Adams, Jay, 
and Laurens. Franklin, the great American Philosopher, 
had been deputed by his countrymen to negotiate in Lon- 
don ; where he was examined before the house of commons, 
and completely baffled the antipacific members, by his un- 
common sn-iartness of reply. 

During the colonial war, the East Indies, also, displayed 
a scene of miserable devastation. The calamity, usually 
•suftered from the individual usurpations of the native prin- 
ces, was increased by the collision of the French and Dutch 
interests. The most distinguished military officer, in that 
quarter, was sir Eyre Coote. But the army was deprived 
of the services of this gallant officer, by his death ; which 
happened at Madras; ai-ising from a constitution worn out 
by long-continued attention to the arduous duties of a mili- 
tary life. Latterly, he had frequent opportunics of show- 
ing his activity and talents, in opposing Hyder Ally ; whom 
he very frequently defeated. This noted sultan having died, 
was succeeded by his son, Tippoo vSaib ; a prince who, with 
the territorial acquisitions, inherited also the martial and 
political genius, of his father. The government of the Brit- 
ish possessions in the East, was, at this period, intrusted to 
Warren Hastings; whose conduct in that important office 
afterwards became a subject of much parliamentary dis- 
cussion. 

Let us now turn from these miserable conflicts. Divest- 
ed of her sanguinary passions, let us view human nature in 
the occasional exercise of Christian meekness; and atoning, 
in some degree, for her general depravity. In the Austrian 
dominions, the spirit of improvement, had been operating, 
in the most laudable manner, by the abolition of torture, 
the introduction of religious toleration, the releasing of the 
peasants in Bohemia from slavery, and granting them por- 
tions of land at easy rents. This just and enlightened 
policy of the emperor Joseph, having called forth, in the 
Irish house of commons, the eulogium of Mr. Dillon of 
J^iismullin, of which the emperor was informed through the 
medium of the public journals, he handsomely conferred 
upon that gentleman a German title — baron of the Holy 
Roman Empire; an honour, approved by the British mon- 
arch. In return for this attention, rather singular on the 
part of sovereigns, the Irish member sent to the continent, 



330 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

his son, the present general Dillon ; with a request that his 
imperial majesty would accept of the youth's services in 
the Austrian army ; to which, he very graciously acceded. 
That liberal spirit soon afterwards produced in England a 
repeal of several penalties and disabilities affecting the Ro- 
man Catholics. These included the punishment of offici- 
ating catholic clergymen, as felons and traitors: the forfeit- 
ure of the estates of catholic heirs educated abroad: the 
power given to a son or near relation, being a protestant, 
of seizing a father's or other relation's estate : and a restric- 
tion on members of that communion from acquiring land- 
ed property by purchase. The lenity of the times, how- 
ever, had, in practice mitigated the rigour of these intol- 
erant enactments. Yet, still, they were a national disgrace, 
and a most serious grievance ; as the liability to incur such 
penalties, was, of itself, a degrading hardship. This benev- 
olent measure, brought forward oy sir George Saville, was 
received with universal approbation. In a few days after- 
wards, Mr. Gardiner having introduced the subject in the 
Irish parliament, some concessions were obtained in favour 
of his suffering countrymen. 

But, in Scotland, these relaxations were not viewed with 
the same degree of liberality. Associations were formed 
there, inimical to Roman Catholic indulgence. At the head 
of these, was lord George Gordon ; (brother to the duke of 
Gordon ;) a man of singular character, compounded of en- 
thusiasm, artifice, and folly. Through his exertions, the fa- 
natical spirit was roused in London ; but his partizans in 
that city were the very lowest dregs of the populace. Its 
effects, however, were, for a while, extremely dangerous. 
The demoniacal frenzy which impelled them, created not 
only serious alarm, but extensive mischief; requiring the 
aid of a strong military force, to arrest its progress. They 
destroyed all the catholic chapels, in and around the city : 
Ihey burned the prisons of Newgate, the Fleet, and the 
King's-bench, and many private houses; amongst which, 
was the dwelling of that great lawyer, lord Mansfield, with 
all his invaluable papers. Nearly five-hundred of these de- 
luded wretches, by death or wounds, felt the consequences 
of their diabolical behaviour. Gordon was tried on a charge 
of high treason, but acquitted ; his crime not appearing to 
the jury in accordance with the indictment. 

This period is memorable on account of the removal of 
those illiberal and unjust restrictions, which so long affect- 
ed the trade of Ireland, and rendered her parliament de- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 231 

pendent, in some measure, on the ministers of England. 
The cause of this important victory, for in that light it 
must be viewed, deserves attention. We shall, therefore, 
trace it to its source. — A refusal, by the English parlia- 
ment, to remove those grievous impediments, having caus- 
ed meetings in Dublin, resolutions were there taken against 
the importation of any British manufactures, or other arti- 
cles, which could be made or produced in Ireland. But, as 
the restrictions were not likely, by that means, to be re- 
moved, something further became necessary. The next ob- 
ject, therefore, was to strengthen the hands of the people. 
This could now be readily accomplished. The country be- 
ing threatened by a French invasion, an opportunity was 
aftbrded of arming for national defence. Accordingly, (in 
1779,) associations were formed for raising volunteer corps; 
which soon became general, and included every party. To 
join them, was justly regarded as an act of patriotism ; and 
men of the first fortune served in the ranks. Government, 
however, viewing with apprehension these numerous bands, 
which might wrest the island from its control, attempted 
to bring them under the regulation and authority of the 
crowai. It was then too late. The people seemed to appre- 
ciate their strength. Dreading, therefore, that the same 
spirit which had nearly caused the loss of one jewel from, 
the English crown, might deprive it of another, the minis- 
ters apparently acquiesced in a scheme, now beyond their 
power to defeat, and furnished the volunteers with arms. 
The nation were resolved to have redress ; and, in calling 
the attention of the throne, the Irish parliament declared, 
that nothing short of a free trade could save the country 
from ruin. Scarcely two months elapsed, before the British 
legislature yielded to the demand ; and, in three years from 
this period, the Irish parliament obtained its independence. 
For his eminent services at this important era, Henry 
Grattan, then a member of the Irish house of commons, 
obtained from parliament fifty-thousand pounds, for the 
purchase of an estate; a return which he well deserved; 
but which has been proclaimed, by those who calculate ac- 
cording to the meanness of their own hearts, to have been 
the stimulant to his exertions. — Admirable reasoners 1 by 
what precedent, could the Irish orator form the most dis- 
tant prospect of pecuniary reward ? 

The affairs of Ireland continued to be highly in- 

' terestingand important. Projects for a reform of the 

parliamentary representation, had been for some time warm» 



232 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ly entertained by the volunteers. In September, a meeting 
of delegates, from upwards of three-hundred companies iu 
the province of Ulster, was held at Dungannon; at which, 
a plan of reform being arranged, it was resolved that a con- 
vention of representatives from the whole volunteer army, 
should assemble on the 10th of November, at Dublin. This 
meeting having taken place, Mr. Flood, on the following 
day, brought the topic before the house of commons, by 
moving for leave to bring in a bill for the more equal re- 
presentation of the people in parliament. The motion, how- 
ever, was received with much displeasure, as being a pro- 
posal tendered at the " point of the bayonet ;" and was re- 
jected by a large majority. An address to the king was 
•next voted ; in which, the lords concurred ; expressing " the 
happiness enjoyed under his government, and their deter- 
mination to support the present constitution with their lives 
and fortunes." The convention then agreed on a counter- 
address ; beseeching, that their wish for remedying certain 
perversions in the parliamentary representation, might not 
be imputed to a spirit of innovation, but to an honest desire 
of upholding the constitution, and perpetuating the union 
of the two nations. This patriotic zeal was encouraged by 
a great change in the administration. Mr. Pitt, for many 
years a strenuous advocate of reform, was now, at the age 
of twenty-four, made prime minister of the British empire; 
and, from his influence, the friends of that cause had every 
thing to hope. In the ensuing spring, therefore, Mr. Flood 
again brought forward his bill, supported by a great num- 
ber of petitions : but it was again rejected. Exasperated at 
this defeat, the citizens of Dublin held a meeting, at which 
another petition to the king, and a circular address to the 
people, were prepared. In the address, it was proposed, 
that five persons should be selected from every county, city, 
and considerable town, to meet in Dublin, as a " national 
congress." The very name of " congress" alarmed the gov- 
ernment. Measures, therefore, were immediately taken to 
counteract the intentions of the people, by fining and im- 
prisoning the most active of the magistrates who had call- 
ed meetings throughout the kingdom ; and by prosecuting 
the publishers of those newspapers in which the resolutions 
had been inserted. These means, however, were insuffi- 
cient. The congress assembled in October, though in rath- 
er an incomplete form; passed a number of resolutions; 
earnestly recommended a future and more numerous meet- 
ing, and then adjourned. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 2S3 

There was another cause of discontent in Ireland, pro- 
ceeding from the distresses of the manufacturing class. To 
so great a height, had these arisen, in Dublin, that a state 
of anarchy would have been the consequence, had not some 
public measures been adopted for their relief. A committee 
of the house of commons having been appointed to take 
into consideration the state of the manufacturers, a proposal 
was afterwards made, that protecting duties should be laid 
on all piece-goods imported into the kingdom. The rejec- 
tion of this motion having caused a great ferment amongst 
the populace, at the next sitting of the house a mob broke 
in, and reproached the members with having " sold them- 
selves to England." They were, however, dispersed by the 
guards, without bloodshed ; and, fortunately, their rage 
gradually subsided, from the succeeding improvement of 
their trade. 
w„- From the period at which we commenced our al- 
lusions to the state of Ireland, nothing very remark- 
able occurred, until the impeachment of Warren Hastings. 
Owing to the number of serious charges against him, for 
improper conduct in the East, his situation excited unusual 
attention. On no former occasion, was there so conspicu- 
ous a flow of eloquence. The most remarkable speakers 
were Sheridan and Burke. Indeed, the subject was particu- 
larly favourable to that kind of impassioned eloquence, 
v/hich the orators of antiquity, when acting as public ac- 
cusers, displayed; and, it was universally agreed, that never 
in the British senate, nor probably elsewhere, was a speech 
of this class delivered of equal force to that, by which Mr. 
Sheridan, during five hours and a half, riveted the atten- 
tion of a full house, and an audience of distinguished visit- 
ers. Mr. Burke declared it to be the most astonishing ef- 
fort of eloquence, argument, and wit, united, of which there 
was any record or tradition. Mr. Fox said, all that he had 
ever heard, all that he had ever read, when compared with 
it, dwindled into nothing, and vanished like vapour before 
the sun. Mr. Pitt acknowledged, that it far surpassed all 
the eloquence of ancient, or of modern times ; and possessed 
every thing that genius or art could furnish, to agitate or 
control the human mind. 

The trial continued for seven years, but ended without 
producing the expected, and, we have no doubt, merited, 
conviction. 

Amidst the preparations for that solemn arraignment, 
the public mind was arrested by another event j the death 



234 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

of the Prussian monarch. Frederick, who has, of all mod- 
ern princes, the best deserved the title of Great, sunk un- 
der the rapid decline of an exhausted constitution, in the 
seventy-fifth year of his a^e. Chargeable as all the early 
part of his career may be, with despotism and rapacity, his 
latter years exhibited him as a mild and beneficent sover- 
eign, devoted to the happiness and prosperity of his sub- 
jects ; and a patriotic asscrtor of the rights of the Germanic 
body, of which he was the most illustrious member. 

Amongst the remarkable domestic incidents, was an at- 
tempt on the king's life, by a woman ; who, when present- 
ing a paper to him as he was alighting from his chariot at 
the garden gate of St. James', made a stroke at his breast, 
with a concealed knife. The blow being happily avoided, 
the king, humanely, exclaimed, " I am not injured — take 
care of the woman — do not hurt her." On examination, she 
was found to be a poor creature, named Margaret Nichol- 
son ; whose reason was bewildered, by some idea which she 
had formed of her having a right to the crown, 
y The latter part of this year was made memorable 

by an occurrence more serious than the preceding, 
also affecting the person of the sovereign. We allude to his 
mental derangement. This affliction, which threw so deep 
a gloom over his later years, and by which he had been 
many years before, attacked, though slightly, rendered 
liim, now, totally incapable of business; and, being unpre- 
cedented in English history, produced a general consterna- 
tion, and occasioned extraordinary movements amongst the 
different parties. When parliament, which had adjourned, 
again assembled, it was proposed by Mr. Fox, that the royal 
functions should be immediately vested in the Prince of 
Wales : who, as heir apparent, he asserted, had an indisputa- 
ble claim, as soon as the sovereign, from any cause, became 
incapable of acting. To this opinion, however, Mr. Pitt, 
who was not in so intimate a friendship with the prince as 
Mr. Fox, was far from acceding. He declared the doctrine 
to be little less than treason to the constitution. At length, 
an arrangement was concluded, placing the royal authority 
in the prince, under considerable restrictions ; amongst 
which, the entire care of the royal person, and the appoint- 
ment of the household officers, were assigned to the queeli. 
But, in Ireland, different measures were adopted. In that 
country, the easy manners of the prince had gained him al- 
most universal affection. The people looked up to. him as 
their future benefactor. In the liouse of commons, an ad- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 235 

dress, proposed by Mr. Conolly and Mr. Grattaii ; and, in 
the house of lords, one of similar import, introduced by the 
earl of Charlemont, requesting the prince to take upon him- 
self, without any restriction, the executive power in Ireland, 
was carried by a large majority. When the deputies ar- 
rived in London, with this address, the prince of Wales re- 
turned his warmest thanks ; but, at the same time, inform- 
ed them of his hope, that his father would very shortly be 
able to resume the government. 

These expectations were soon realized. In a fev/ days 
afterwards, the king was perfectly recovered ; having been 
ill about four months. 

The attachment which the Irish nation had evinced for 
the prince of Wales, was sincere and ardent; widely differ- 
ent from the puerile feeling displayed in the indiscrimi- 
nating vivas of a more recent period. How mistaken were 
his early friends in the object of their confidence— the idol 
of their future happiness !' 



SECOj\'n PART. 

GREAT WAR WITH FRANCE. 

THE affairs of France, at this period, having had so mo- 
mcntous an inihicncc on the political concerns of Eji gland, 
in common with the impression made upon almost every 
nation of the earth, require unusual attention. 

The French people had long been struggling to recover 
the small degree of legislative authority, wrested from them, 
nearly two centuries ago, by a rapacious monarch. Their 
first efforts were made in the reign of Louis the fiftecith. 
That prince having, in 1763, issued an edict for the contiiiu- 
ance of some war taxes, and the imposition of others, the 
■provincial parliaments refused their assent, and made a 
strong remonstrance against a proceeding so tyrannical. In 
consequence, the king sent officers into the several prov- 
inces, to register them by force ; but the parliaments per- 
sisted in their opposition, and even issued orders for the 
apprehension of his agents. That monarch, equally detest- 
able in his private and his public conduct, was succeeded 
by Louis the sixteenth ; a-prince, naturally inclined rather 
to indulge, than oppress, the people. But his good inten- 
tions were often frustrated by his family, and by the interest- 
X 



-36 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ed counsel of the neighbouring* sovereigns. In that respect, 
the queen herself was considered highly culpable. The 
duke of Orleans, also, than whom the history of Europe 
scarcely affords a character more infamous, served greatly 
to perplex his government. He has been charged even 
with hastening the downfal of his relative, that he might 
himself ascend upon his ruin. 

Having thus given a sufficient sketch of the causes, we 
shall next trace the progress, of the revolution. 

The disordered condition of the French finances, occa- 
sioned by the expenses of the late war and the extravagance 
of the court, had suggested an application to the body of 
The people, in the form of a convention of " notables," or 
principal persons in the different classes throughout the 
kingdom. This assembly met at Versailles, and was open- 
ed with great solemnity by the king, accompanied by the 
royal princes and the chief officers of state. But the pro- 
posed manner of raising the supplies, was far from being 
agreeable to the deputies, emboldened by the recent suc- 
cess of the American patriots. Very little business was 
transacted, and the meeting was dissolved. 

In the mean time, the necessity of the government had 
caused a recurrence to the usual mode of levying money, 
by royal edicts; with which, the parliament of Paris refused 
to acquiesce ; and the king having endeavoured to compel 
their registry, all the parliaments of France denounced pen- 
alties against those who should attempt to enforce their 
execution. The royal authority being now at stake, the 
king improperly retaliated, by banishing the Parisian dele- 
gates to Troyes. But the popular resentment constrained 
him to recall them. A compromise ensued, and the edicts 
were withdrawn. However, this apparent return of good 
understanding was of short duration. The government ne- 
cessities becoming still more urgent, applications for sup- 
ply were again made, and were again repulsed. The result 
was, the imprisonment, by a royal order, of two of the mem- 
bers ; followed by a bold remonstrance against this act of 
power, and a demand, in the name of the laws, for their 
liberation ; with which open assertion of the principles of 
free government, the year 1787 closed. 

The new year was productive of still more serious con- 
tests. The crisis was rapidly approaching. The further 
tyranny of the court was met by increasing opposition from 
the people. All the royal ordinances were again suspend- 
ed ; the minister of finance resigned his uneasy post, and ^ 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 237 

nas succeeded by Necker, the celebrated banker of Gene- 
va; who, at a former period, had held the office, and, more 
than any other man, possessed the confidence of the nation. 

At length, in 1789, the popular voice was entirely pre- 
dominant in France. A large accession. of number in the 
tiers etat^ or third estate, having been gained, this body, 
now feeling their importance, and being joined by a few of 
the clergy, who belonged to a distinct assembly, declared 
themselves the legislative body, and assumed the title of 
National Assembly. The king, however, supported by the 
nobles, declared their proceedings null, and commanded 
them to separate. Violent tumults ensued : in some of 
which, the dangerous symptom of fallen authority appear- 
ed, — an attachment of the soldiery to the popular feeling ; 
which induced the king and the nobles to acquiesce in the 
joint deliberation of the three orders. 

Meanwhile, the court was collecting an army around 
Paris; and, on the 1 1th of July, Necker was suddenly dis- 
missed, with an order to quit the kingdom in twenty-four 
hours. This event excited furious commotion. On the 
fourteenth, the citizens, aided by some of the military^ 
stormed the state prison, (called the Bastile,) massacred 
the governor with several others, and carried their heads 
in triumph through the streets. 

Necker was immediately recalled ; several decrees were 
passed by the national assembly, abolishing ancient institu- 
tions; and a declaration of rights was agreed on, as the ba- 
sis of a new constitution. This frame of government, as- 
sented to by Louis, was a limited monarchy ; in which, the 
legislative authority was made superior to the executive, 
and the king was allowed only a suspensive veto. But the 
general distress created fresh insurrections. With much 
difficulty, the king and queen were saved from the fury of 
the mob by the marquis La Fayette, at the head of the na- 
tional guards; which corps he then commanded. Impor- 
tant changes were again made by the assembly; amongst 
which, were, the abolition of all titles, the annulment of 
tithes, and the total dissolution of monastic establishments. 
These transactions created alarm amongst the 
continental sovereigns. The emperor of Germany 
wrote a letter to the unhappy Louis, deprecating the late 
decrees ; and prepared to assist him in their revocation. 
An army of French emigrants, under the prince of Conde, 
was assembling on the German border ; insurrections of 
the royal party were occurring in diiferent provinces of 



238 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

France, and suspicions mutually increasing: the king, with 
the queen, his sister, his brother, and the latter's wife, se- 
cretly left the palace, by a subterranean passage, and set 
off for the frontiers; leaving behind him a paper, in which 
he protested against all the decrees sanctioned by him while 
under a state of restraint, and recited the deprivations and 
indignities which he alleged he had undergone from the 
national assembly. But his journey was soon prevented. 
He and his party were stopped at Varennes, and brought 
back under an escort of national guards. His brother and 
sister, having taken a different route, reached Brussels in 
safety. 

To enumerate the various negotiations which succeeded, 
would carry us beyond our limits. In September, the na- 
tional assembly having unfortunately dissolved itself, affairs 
were thenceforth managed by legislative bodies, under va- 
rious titles, much influenced by the famous Jacobin club ; 
a society of about forty, who formed a kind of national as- 
sembly in miniature, and an instrument of the most violent 
faction. 

France and Austria were now at open war. Hos- 
tilities commenced with an attack on the Austrian 
Netherlands, by a large body of troops under general Ro- 
chambeau. Soon afterwards, it was announced, that the 
king of Prussia had marched above fifty-thousand men to 
co-operate with the emperor. Paris was filled with con- 
fusion and alarm : the legislative assembly declared that 
the country was in danger. The arrival at the capital, of 
the provincial volunteers, increased the general tendency 
to riot; and, in this inflammable state of the public mind, 
appeared the two celebrated declarations of the duke of 
Brunswick, commander in chief of the allied forces, dated 
at Coblentz, on his way to Paris. These were drawn up 
in a style of sanguinary menace ; and espoused the cause 
of Louis and his ancient authority, in a manner which con- 
firmed every suspicion of his consenting to the invasion. 
A dreadful scene ensued. The palace was attacked: the 
Swiss guards, the gentlemen ushers, the pages, and all who 
came in the way of the insurgents, were cut to pieces. The 
king and queen, with the rest of the royal family, having 
taken shelter in the hall of the assembly, which was then 
sitting, thus gained a respite from the fury of their enemies. 
The executive power was now suspended, and Louis and 
his queen were imprisoned in the Temple. In the next 
place, royalty was declared forever abolished in France, all 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 239 

distinclions in society were overturned; and every thing 
which had graced and decorated polished life was abandon- 
ed with contempt. 

With the turbulence, the energies, also, of the French 
nation, were increased. Dumorier and Kellerman were 
successful, not only in checking the advance of the duke of 
Brunswick, but in lowering his tone so completely, that he 
acknowledged the right of the people to make their own 
iaws, desired nothing further than the admission of Louis 
into the government, however limited in power, and, before 
the end of October, evacuated the territories of France. 

Having gone thus far in portraying this memorable scene 
of anarchy and bloodshed, we must turn to the effects pro- 
duced in England. 

In the house of commons, allusion having been made to 
the late revolution, which Mr. Fox mentioned in terms of 
approval, Mr. Burke rose, and delivered a severe and op- 
probrious censure, not only on its conductors, but on its 
principles. Mr. Fox and Mr. Sheridan defended the prin- 
ciples of the revolution, whilst they joined in detestation of 
the outrages by v/hich it had been accompanied; but Mr. 
Pitt and several other members expressed their entire con- 
currence with Mr. Burke. Similar oppositions of senti- 
ment spread rapidly through the empire; producing a spirit 
of hostility more acrimonious than that which prevailed 
even during the colonial war. Every sect, and every rank, 
felt interested in the contest. The anniversary of the popu- 
lar triumph in France having been celebrated in different 
places, Mr. Burke soon afterwards published his celebrated 
work, entitled. Reflections on the French Revolution; by 
which, he gave offence to all rational friends of political 
freedom. On this occasion, his most able antagonist was 
Thomas Paine; who brought forward his " Rights of Man," 
which greatly contributed to the spreading of democraticai 
principles, and a bold spirit of reform. In the following 
year, the anniversary of the revolution was the cause of an 
alarming riot at Birmingham. The populace there, being 
averse to the cause of freedom, collected in a mob, and, 
uncontrolled by the magistrates, burned several meeting- 
houses, and the dwellings of the principal dissenters. The 
house, books, papers, and apparatus, of that eminent divine 
and philosopher, Dr. Priestley, were consumed; and he 
himself was compelled to become a fugitive, in order to 
preserve his life, 
X 2 



:40 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Ten years had elapsed, since the cause of the Roman 
Catholics particularly engaged the attention of the Irish 
parliament; since they took a serious review of those disa- 
bilities, which the passions and prejudices, perhaps the 
pressure, of an intemperate season, had entailed upon them. 
An intimation from the throne united them to resume that 
duty. The good offices which they ow^ed to each other; the 
indulgence due to their fellow subjects, recommended by 
the unimpeachable conduct of a century ; the consideration 
demanded by national prosperity ; all, united, in again call- 
ing them to a revision of that subject, at a time when the 
public mind was becoming more enlightened, and prejudice 
and jealousy were every day yielding to confidence and af- 
fection. A bill, introduced by sir Hercules Langrishe, 
which afterwards received the royal assent, happily re- 
moved the most grievous restrictions from that numerous 
and loyal body of their Irish brethren. By this, and a suc- 
ceeding enactment, they were allowed the privilege of vot- 
ing at parliamentary elections; serving on petit and grand 
juries ; holding commissions of the peace, in counties ; 
pleading at the bar, and rising to the rank of colonel in the 
army. The honour of assisting in the national councils, 
with their emancipation from every restriction, would be at- 
tended with the highest benefit to the British empire. 

But, whilst England was thus increasing the number of 
her friends at home, she was creating a formidable enemy 
abroad. On the deposition of the king of France, the Brit- 
ish ambassador at Paris, lord Gower, had been recalled, 
and the French ambassador at London was no long- 
'^' er respected. Every thing, seemed tending towards 
more serious hostility. It is, indeed, difficult to say, which 
nation advanced with the greatest earnestness, to so dreadful 
an appeal. The indications of one government were met by 
the less ambiguous declarations of the other. A letter from 
the French minister of marine, addressed " to all friends of 
liberty in the seaports," contamed the following appeal ; 
which, with some others, was quoted by Mr. Pitt in the 
house of commons : " The king of England and his parlia- 
ment mean to make war against us. Will the English re- 
publicans suffer it? Already, these freemen show their dis- 
content, and their repugnance to bear arms against their 
brothers, the French. Well 1 we will fly to their succour : 
we will make a descent upon the island: we will lodge 
there fifty-thousand caps of liberty ; we will plant there the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND 24i 

sacred tree, and will stretch out our arms to our republican 
brethren. Their tyrannical government shall soon be de- 
stroyed.'* 

The execution of the unfortunate Louis took place on 
the twenty-first of January. When the intelligence of that 
event reached England, the French ambassador was order- 
ed to quit the kingdom ; and this marked avowal of dis- 
pleasure was followed, on the part of the new Republic, by 
a declaration of war; in which Holland, also, was included. 

If we pause here for a moment, and view the immense 
load of debt with which Great Britain was already burthen- 
ed, amounting to more than two-hundred-and-fifty-millions, 
we cannot refrain from commiserating her dangerous situ- 
ation. The effect of the transition from a pacific to a hos- 
tile attitude, on nearly every branch of manufactures, was 
truly deplorable. The numerous dependents oh large es- 
tablishments, generally improvident, had made no provi- 
sion against a sudden stagnation of their trade. As the pa- 
rent can no longer support his children, or be secure from 
the horrors of a jail, in despair he rushes from their pres- 
ence, and leaves them to their fate ; or, with an aching 
heart, takes them as companions of his sorrow, and seeks a 
temporary living from the charity of strangers. 

A French army, under Dumorier, assembled at Ant- 
werp, for the purpose of attacking the Dutch. Breda and 
other places soon opened their gates. But, at William- 
s»tadt, which commands the passage of an arm of the sea 
into Holland, he was driven back by the garrison, aided 
by a detachment of English guards and gun-boats. Gen- 
eral Miranda invested Maestrecht, with a force of twenty- 
thousand men ; and, after completing his works, summon- 
ed it to surrender. The prince of Hesse, however, its 
commandant, determined on a resolute defence. Clairfait, 
the Austrian general, having passed the Roer, repulsed 
the enemy in that quarter; and, soon afterwards, the arch- 
duke Albert captured some of their batteries. These af- 
fairs were followed by a complete victory, gained by the 
prince of Saxe-Cobourg over the French army, at Aix la 
Chapelle; from which, they were driven as far as Liege: 
and, on the same day, prince Frederick of Brunswick de- 
feated a body at Bruges. Miranda was therefore compelled 
to raise the siege of Maestrecht, and hastily retreat. 

The good fortune of Dumorier seemed to have deserted 
him. All the splendid conquests made by that active com- 
mander in the Austrian Netherlands, being, before the end 



2i2 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

of March, recovered by the allies, he was obliged to retirt 
upon his own frontier. Dumorier was a moderate repub- 
lican, and invariably opposed Robespierre, Marat, and 
others of that ferocious party; who had used the name of 
liberty for accomplishing the most sanguinary barbarities 
in the annals of the world. He therefore formed a design 
of marching to Paris, to effect a counter-revolution. But, 
being suspected by the convention, he departed from his 
army, and took refuge with the Austrians. Dampiere was 
then appointed in his place. From his fortified camp at 
Famars, near Valenciennes, the French general made an 
impetuous attack on the allies, which ended in his defeat ; 
he himself being mortally wounded. In this engagement, 
the British troops, under the duke of York, second son of 
the king of England, were highly distinguished. The 
camp of Famars afterwards yielded to the allies; by which, 
means, Valenciennes being left uncovered, the siege oi" 
that place was intrusted to the duke; to whom, after it had 
been reduced almost to ashes by a bombardment, it surren- 
dered. But that officer, shortly after, met a severe repulse. 
Having commenced the siege of Dunkirk, the delay in re- 
ceiving his heavy artillery, and the want of an early co-op- 
eration by a naval force, caused the loss of so much time, 
that the enemy were enabled to collect a powerful army 
for its defence, before any progress was made in its invest- 
ment : the result of which was, that he was obliged to 
raise the siege, and leave behind him his battering cannon, 
with a large quantity of ammunition. 

Toulon, in the south of France, became an interesting 
and melancholy object. The citizens, in conjunction with 
admiral Turgot, had given admiral Hood possession of the 
town and shipping ; on condition that they should be re- 
turned to the French monarchy, whenever it should be re- 
established. But the appearance of a numerous republican 
army, soon made it necessary for the British to retire. A 
conflagration of the magazines, arsenals, and vessels in the 
harbour, followed, under the direction of sir Sidney Smith ; 
on which occasion, fifteen ships of the line, several frigates, 
and an immense quantity of naval stores, were consumed. 

In the month of October, Marie Antoinette, widow of 
the unfortunate Louis, was taken to the scaffold. The 
guillotine streamed with the blood of many others ; several 
of whom deserved a better fate. But the execution of the 
duke of Orleans, then known by the name of Egalite, (who 
had been so active in procuring the king's death,) was re- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 24:3 

gretted by none. Very different was the feeling for Ma- 
dame Roland, whose character was the object of general 
admiration. 

The East and the West Indies had again a large share of 
military operations. However, no useful knowledge would 
be imparted, by our attending to them, in this early stage of 
the great contest. The domestic transactions are the next 
subject of importance. 

In Scotland, a party zealous for reform had projected 
what they entitled, rather injudiciously, a national conven- 
tion. This society having thereby attracted the notice of 
government, prosecutions were instituted against some of 
its leading members; upon an old Scottish statute, of very 
wide and dangerous application. In consequence, Mr. 
Muir and Mr. Palmer received sentence of transportation : 
which judgment, being the first instance of the imposition 
of that punishment, for such a crime, and pronounced 
against persons of respectable character, was regarded as 
unreasonably severe. 

About this time, the British government became involv- 
ed in those disputes with the United States of America, 
which, finally, were attended with so serious effects. Or- 
ders having been given, by the former, for stopping all 
vessels carrying corn or military stores, either to France, 
or to her colonies, more than six-hundred of the American 
shipping were consequently seized, within a period of five 
months. This violation of neutral rights, accompanied by 
the impressment of American seamen, was resented by an 
embargo on the British shipping; after which, Mr. Jay, an 
ambassador from the United States, having arrived in Lon- 
don, the dispute was for the present adjusted. 

The popular odium, which Mr. Pitt had already gained, 
by his precipitate bres^ch with the French republic, was 
now increased by another measure, highly oifensive to a 
nation entitled to the privileges of freemen. This was, the 
suspension of the habeas corpus act ; as a counterpoise to 
the rapidly increasing spirit of reform. But, though he had 
thus succeeded in bringing over a majority in parliament 
to countenance his encroachments, he was entirely defeat- 
ed in his next experiment. Indictments being found against 
several members of the reforming societies, Mr. Hardy 
was first tried ; and, after an investigation of eight days 
continuance, in which the talents of his counsel, Mr. Er- 
skine and Mr. Gibbs, were admirably displayed, he was ac~ 



J44 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

quitted. The trial of Home Tooke ended in the same 
manner; after which, the other prisoners were discharged. 

We are again called to the grand theatre of war. The 
continent exhibited a spectacle no less interesting than aw- 
ful ; unparalleled in the previous history of Europe. 

France, amid the ferocious contentions of successive fac- 
tions ; unaided by a single friend ; assailed, on all sides, by 
the strongest energies of the surrounding kingdoms; pre- 
served her territory uninjured. Austria, Prussia, and Hol- 
land; Great Britain, Sardinia, and Spain; seemed to wage 
against the republic an unequal contest. Their veteran 
troops, their long experienced commanders, now yielded to 
the soldiers of a day ; led on by generals just emerged from 
the very lowest ranks. A degree of enthusiasm, bordering 
on madness, had infused amongst the undisciplined armies 
of France, an artificial courage, which nothing could resist. 
Before the end of autumn, the whole of Austrian Flanders 
and Brabant, with many of the strong towns on the Dutch 
frontiers, had fallen ; and so disheartened were the Aus- 
trian and Prussian monarchs, that they would have made a 
hasty peace with their powerful antagonist, had it not been 
for the interposition of British gold. 

But, on another element, the French experienced a re- 
verse. At sea, they had to meet a foe, certainly not inferior 
in natural ardour, and far superior in skill and discipline. 
Ou the first of June, lord Howe, with twenty-five sail 
of the line, engaged the enemy's fleet of twenty-six, 
off the coast of Brittany. The French steadily awaited the 
attack; but, in less than an hour after the action became gen- 
eral, their commander, whose immediate opponent was 
Howe, in the Queen Charlotte, went off with crowded sails, 
followed by most of his van who were able to carry canvass. 
Of those which were left crippled, seven ships were taken; 
the remainder having escaped, owing to the disabled or 
separated state of the English. The slaughter in the 
French fleet was very great. In the captured vessels, alone, 
the killed and wounded amounted to twelve-hundred. The 
total loss of the British was nine-hundred. 

Early in the ensuing spring, Mr. Pitt brought forward a 
plan for the augmentation of the navy ; requiring for that 
service ninety-thousand men. The regular land-forces 
amounted at this period to considerably more. So large a 
military establishment, with the expense of maintaining a 
majority in parliament, and subsidizing the continental sov- 
ereignsj required upwards of twenty-sevcn-millions for the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 245 

service of the year* With regard to the king of Prussia, it 
was observed by the opposition, that he had misapplied the 
assistance so largely given him ; having directed it chiefly 
towards promoting his unjust designs against Poland : and 
as to Austria, that the conduct of the emperor did not then 
justify a much higher degree of confidence. 

The conquest of Holland had become the great object 
■with the French ; an enterprise in which the power of Louis 
the fourteenth had failed. But the present state of the prov- 
inces rendered success more probable, than at any former 
time. Since the forced restoration of the Stadtholder, by 
the arms of Prussia, in 1787, disaffection to the house of 
Orange, and its supporters, was a prevailing sentiment 
amongst them ; and, in several districts, open declaration 
had been made of their attachment to the French Republic, 
and their aversion to Great Britain. The principal difficul- 
ty which obstructed the French, was the crossing of the 
waters between Holland and Brabant; for, when attempting 
to pass on rafts, they were repulsed by the British and Ger- 
man troops. At length, owing to a frost, more intense than 
any experienced for several years, they were enabled to 
transport a numerous army, on the ice, over the Waal, and 
carry all the posts in the isle of Bommel. A gallant attack 
by eight-thousand British troops, under general Dundas, 
forced them to recross the river, with considerable loss. 
But this was only a momentary check. Their numbers ren- 
dered them irresistible. Part of Pichegru's army made good 
their passage without opposition, and the British v/ere forc- 
ed to retreat ; during which, until their arrival at Bremen, 
where they took shipping for England, their sufferings, from 
the weather, the pursuing enemy, and the inhospitality of 
the country through which they passed, exceeded almost 
any of the kind that have ever afforded matter for descrip- 
tion. The French immediately took possession of Utrecht 
and Rotterdam. The Stadtholder, with his son, escaped 
with difficulty from the Hague to Scheveling; and, having 
embarked in an open boat, on the following day reached 
England. Pichegru, having received a formal invitation, 
entered Amsterdam on the 20th of January. The independ- 
ence of the United Provinces was then declared, and the 
preceding constitution abolished. 

This was soon followed by a peace between the French 
Republic and the king of Prussia. The treaty, which had 
been for some time progressing, was entirely in favour of 
the former ; and gave her the satisfaction of being acknov/1- 



246 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

edged by a power which had stood foremost m the hostile 
confederacy. Spain, too, completely dispirited by the last 
campaign, found it necessary to sue for peace, and accept 
of such terms as she could obtain. She yielded all her part 
of Hispaniola, with its artillery and stores, acknowledged 
the French and Dutch republics, and undertook to use her 
influence in detaching Portugal from the alliance with 
Great Britain. 

Although, since the downfal of Robespierre, Marat, and 
their atrocious confederates, the internal relations of France 
had been gradually improving, yet there still arose a con- 
siderable degree of inquietude, from the successive colli- 
sion of the factions which remained. The fifth of October 
was a dreadful day at Paris. A conflict took place near the 
hall of the convention, between the citizens and the regular 
army ; and ended in the total rout of the people, after a loss 
of about a thousand lives. On this occasion, Napoleon 
Buonaparte, a native of Corsica, distinguished himself as a 
commander, by his intrepid conduct. Tranquillity being 
restored, a new constitution was formed, and the conven- 
tion, after a continuance of three years, resigned its author- 
ity. The executive power was now vested in five directors : 
Reubel, Latourneur, Barras, Sieyes, and Larevelliere Le- 
paux ; who were installed with regal pom.p, and, on public 
occasions, displayed all the appendages of sovereignty. The 
founding of the national institute, an establishment which 
revived and included all the former celebrated academies 
of science and polite literature, and the forming of central 
schools for the superior branches of education in each de- 
partment, honourably testified the enlarged views of the 
new authorities. 

The republic, however, with all its attention and energy, 
was still unable to meet the British on the ocean. A fur- 
ther reduction of its navy was made, by admiral Hotham 
and lord Bridport ; by the one, off Genoa, and the other, oft' 
Port L'Orient. But an exploit of more importance than any 
during this year, v/as the capture of the Dutch colony, the 
Cape of Good Hope, by general Craig and admiral sir G. 
Keith Elphinstone ; its governor having rejected a proposal, 
that it should be assigned to the protection of Great Britain. 

Whatever consolation the minister derived from the in- 
variable success of the navy, and the occasional triumphs 
of the army, there seemed no reasonable hope of eventually 
controling the formidable power of France. The people 
were extremely desirous of peace. But every motion in 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. -247 

parliament upon that subject had been rejected. A petition, 
therefore, to both houses, was voted in the Common Hall 
of London, by a large majority ; and also in several towns 
throughout the kingdom. Of course, the ministry and other 
advocates of war, became daily more unpopular, and the 
reforming societies acted with increasing boldness. One 
meeting, in the fields near Copenhagen House, was distin- 
guished by the daring spirit of the addresses, made to at 
least fifty-thousand persons. In the autumn, when the king- 
was proceeding through the Park to the house of lords, he 
was surrounded by a crowd of all ranks, who clamorously 
demanded peace, and the dismission of Mr. Pitt : one of the 
glasses of his coach was broken by a bullet, and on his re- 
turn he was treated with much rudeness and indignity. 

The attention of all Europe was now turned to Italy. 
That country, so frequently the theatre of hostile opera- 
tions, became the chief ground on which the present bellig- 
erents contended. Buonaparte, being placed at the head of 
fifty-thousand troops, began, in the month of April, that 
rapid series of victories, which overthrew the proudest ar- 
mies of Austria, removed from his ancient throne the fath- 
er of the Roman church, crushed the power of every other 
sovereign beyond the Alps, and raised his military fame 
above the greatest generals of antiquity. The enemies of 
France will long remember Lodi, Mantua, Rivoli, and Ma- 
rengo. 

War was declared against Great Britain, by the Dutch, 
(the Batavian Republic) in May, and by the Spaniards in 
October. 

The Dutch had already experienced the effects of their 
attachment to the French. In the East Indies, their settle- 
ments in Ceylon, with Malacca, Cochin, Chinsura, Am- 
boyna, and Banda, were taken without resistance. In South 
America, they were deprived of Demerara and Essequibo, 
by general Whyte ; and afterwards of Surinam, by lord 
Hugh Seymour. But these were not their only losses. Ad- 
miral Elphinstone captured, at Saldanha Bay, several ships 
of the line and frigates, with two-thousand land forces on 
board. 

^ « Early in this year, another splendid victory was 
gained by the British navy. In Spain, so m uh dili- 
gence had been exerted, that a large fleet was soon prepar- 
ed, with the intention of joining the French squadron at 
Brest. It consisted of twenty-seven sail of the line ; six of 
which mounted, each, one-hundred-and-twelve, and one was 
Y 



-48 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

even so powerful as one-hundred-and-thirty-six guns. The 
squadron destined to intercept this gigantic fleet, was com- 
posed of no more than fifteen ships of the line and some frig- 
ates, but had much better seamen than the Spaniards, and 
was commanded by admiral Jervis, an officer of first rate 
abilities, seconded by many of the most distinguished offi- 
cers in the navy. On the 14th of February, the enemy were 
descried off Cape St. Vincent, on the coast of Portugal ; 
and, before they had time to form, were attacked, and one- 
third of their number was separated from the rest. An at- 
tempt to rejoin their ships was prevented by commodore 
Nelson ; who, at one time, had singly to encounter their ad- 
miral and two other first rates ; and the engagement ended 
in the capture of four of their vessels, and their return to 
Cadiz. Jervis was rewarded with the title of earl St. Vin- 
cent, and Nelson with the order of the Bath. 

In the same month, the enemy sent over to the English 
coast an armament, not less singular in its materials, than 
unmeaning in its object. Fourteen-hundred men, who were 
embarked at Brest in four vessels, three of which were 
large frigates, entered the Bristol Channel, and anchored 
off Ilfracombe ; but, when informed that a regiment of vol- 
unteers was prepared to oppose them, they stood over to 
Pembrokeshire, and landed in a bay near Fishguard. The 
alarm was immediately given ; people assembled from all 
parts ; more than three-thousand men, amongst whom were 
a body of militia, were soon collected ; and to these, headed 
by lord Cawdor, they immediately surrendered. The as- 
tonishment of the captors may easily be imagined, when 
they found that the invaders were mostly in rags, with eve- 
ry appearance of having been taken out of prison. 

Scarcely had the conversation excited by that mysterious 
affair subsided, when a cause of serious alarm was given in 
another quarter, and from a very different source. This 
proceeded from a mutiny which broke out in the navy at 
Portsmouth. Discontents had for some time existed ; aris- 
ing from the smallness of the seamen's pay, the unequal 
distribution of prize money, and the severity of discipline. 
However, by the timely intervention of parliament, by 
whom their grievances were redressed, order was happily 
restored. But these concessions, to which they were enti- 
tled, led the way to further demands, unreasonable and un- 
just. A more dangerous spirit of insubordination shortly 
afterwards appeared, amongst the fleet lying off the Nore. 
The head of this revolt was one Parker ; a man of some ed' 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 249 

ucation, and equally remarkable for activity and courage. 
He informed the admiralty, that the seamen had resolved to 
keep possession of the fleet, until they complied with their 
request. It therefore became necessary, when every remon- 
strance and an offer of pardon were ineffectual, to employ 
force for their reduction. Accordingly, the buoys at the 
mouth of the Thames were removed, batteries for throw- 
ing red-hot shot erected, and proclamations issued, forbid- 
ding all intercourse with them from the shore. One ship 
after another at length submitted ; and Parker with his fel- 
low delegates was seized. He and some of the latter were 
condemned and executed ; after which, good order through- 
out the navy was completely restored. 

An opportunity was soon afforded the British seamen to 
regain the confidence of their officers and the admiration of 
their country. Duncan, with sixteen ships of the line, hav- 
ing encountered, near Camperdown, a Dutch fleet of equal 
force, under Winter, captured eight of the line, two of fif- 
ty-six guns and two frigates. For this brilliant success, that 
gallant officer was advanced to the peerage. 

On the continent, the superiority of the French arms was 
still increasing. The Austrians had been expelled from 
Italy; and, though another army entered that country, un- 
der the command of the archduke Charles, an officer brave, 
skilful, and active, they were unable to contend with the 
greater energies of Buonaparte, aided by numerous gene- 
rals, scarcely inferior to himself in the art of war. Nor was 
it in Italy alone that the Imperialists were beaten. The 
French pushed their successes so far, that even Vienna was 
in danger ; and thus compelled them to conclude a peace. 
,-,Qg The diminution of territory, suffered by the re- 

volt of the American colonies, appeared to have 
been soon forgotten by the English government. Further 
and more serious warning was required, to make a perma- 
nent impression. A rebellion in Ireland now raised its aw- 
ful voice, to declare the wrongs and disappointments of an 
oppressed and insulted people : oppressed by the continu- 
ance of unnecessary restrictions : insulted by the hope of 
redress, no sooner given than withdrawn. 

To form a just decision, as to the innocence or criminali- 
ty of the Irish people, almost the whole effective popula- 
tion of the country, thus taking arms against a long estab- 
lished sovereignty, it will be necessary to make a retro- 
grade movement in our history. We have already shown 
the effects of the American revolution, in producing a gen- 



250 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

eral spirit of resistance, and its influence in Ireland, by em- 
bodying the volunteers. Their first object had been gained; 
but much was yet to be accomplished. So early, therefore, 
as 1791, an association, with a view towards parliamentary 
reform, -was established in Belfast; called The Society of 
United Irishmen : which consisted chiefly of protestant dis- 
senters. Amongst these, lord Castlereagh, (then the hon- 
ourable Robert Stewart,) was one of the most active mem- 
bers. To that succeeded a society in Dublin, having a simi- 
lar object, with the addition of a test. Of this, James Nap- 
per Tandy was secretary, and Simon Butler chairman. Be- 
sides their immediate object of reform, these liberal patriots 
gave the most strenuous aid in gaining indulgence to the 
catholics; a body entitled to the highest degree of political 
confidence. The removal of several restraints which affect- 
ed them has been already mentioned. For those acts, they 
were indebted, it is generally supposed, to the sole orders 
of the king : without whose desire, previously expressed to 
the minister, no motion in their favour would have been 
successful; as Mr. Pitt, notwithstanding his professions, 
was inimical to their emancipation ; and the majority of the 
Irish parliament, were, on that subject, invariably governed 
by the ministerial nod. 

The sudden recall, from the government of Ireland, of 
lord Fitzwilliam ; a nobleman who had been selected, in the 
year 1795, for the avowed purpose of healing its dissen- 
sions, by reforming its representation and admitting the 
catholics to a full participation of constitutional privileges; 
was the cause of this rebellion. The king, possessing more 
virtue in the design, than steadiness in the execution, of his 
measures, was persuaded, by the insidious whisperings of 
pensioners and placemen, to withdraw his generous direc- 
tions. Of these self-interested advisers, the late Mr. Beres- 
ford, who enjoyed a lucrative situation in the custom-house 
at Dublin, was the most distinguished. All hopes, either of 
emancipation or reform, were thus destroyed. Catholic and 
Protestant thence aimed only at one object ; and, as redress 
had been denied them, that object was revolution. The va- 
rious names which had previously marked the contending 
parties, became lost, in the two great divisions of United 
Irishmen on the one side, and Orangemen on the other ; the 
latter consisting of the very meanest of the established 
church, led and infuriated by government dependents, un- 
der the once respected banners of Nassau, to cover the 
iijost atrocious persecution. For their cruelties, lord Qamb- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 251 

den, the successor of Fitzwilliam, is responsible. He either 
encouraged them by his countenance, or suffered them to 
proceed by his neglect. 

The management of the intended revolution was intrust- 
ed to a Directory. Its first members were, lord Edward 
Fitzgerald, brother to the patriotic duke of Leinster; Oli- 
ver Bond, a merchant of considerable eminence in Dublin; 
Counsellor Ernmett ; Arthur O'Connor, nephew of lord 
Longueville; and Dr. M'Nevin ; all of whom, except the 
last, were protestants. A correspondence was opened, and 
an invasion of Ireland arranged, with the government of 
France. This measure, however, had often been frustrated 
by the vigilance of the English admirals ; and, when a large 
fleet had escaped from Brest, with a powerful armament on 
board, under general Hoche, it was so scattered by a storm, 
that only a part reached Ireland : and even these, after wait- 
ing a considerable time in Bantry Bay, for the general and 
the remainder of the fleet, sailed without landing their 
troops. An insurrection, unaided by the French, was not 
intended, in the beginning. But, the chief leaders having, 
been imprisoned, and the people goaded to the last stage 
of desperation by the ministerial assistance of lord Castle- 
reagh, that great political apostate, a rebellion was begun, 
without heads to direct, or officers to execute. 

The insurgents first assembled on the 23d of May. On 
the following morning, they attacked the garrison of Naas, 
in the county of Kiidare, fourteen miles from Dublin; from 
which, after a warm contest, they were repulsed. Simul- 
taneous attempts were made at many other towns; particu- 
larly Carlow, Hacketstown, and Monasterevan ; in general, 
with no better success. The insurrection then spread 
through several of the southern and northern counties, 
threatening a total dissolution of the government. Severe 
engagements occurred at Wexford, Vinegar Hill, and New 
Ross; Antrim, Saintfield, and Ballinahinch. 

Happily for Ireland, the earl of Cambden was recalled, 
and lord Cornwallis deputed to restrain the fury of civil 
war. The system of moderation and mercy pursued by 
this nobleman, was attended with immediate effect. Mili- 
tary execution being repressed, and a general pardon offer- 
ed, before the end of July the flames of rebellion were near- 
ly extinguished. But, in the following month, an ill-timed 
expedition from France raised disturbance in the west. 
Eleven-hundred infantry, commanded by Humbert, seem- 
td, for a while, to bid defiance to the whole military force 
¥3 



252 lilSrORY OF ENGLAND 

of Ireland. It must for ever remain a humiliating reffecticG 
on the power and lustre of the British arms, that so pitiful 
a detachment should have routed a select army of six-thou- 
sand men, marched one-hundred-and-fifty miles through the 
country, ifnd maintained their superiority until surrounded 
by upwards of twenty-thousand troops. Alter an obstinate 
resistance, the gallant band surrendered to lord Cornvvallis, 
at Ballinamuck. Historical justice, however, requires us 
to state, that, in a previous rencounter, a small party of the 
Limerick militia, under colonel Vereker, gave them a se- 
vere check; and that no blame can be attached to the com- 
mon soldiers. Their discipline had been so much relaxed 
by the turbulent policy of a former commander in chief, 
lord Carhampton, that his successor, the correct soldier, 
sir Ralph Abercrombie, declared, " the army in Ireland was 
formidable to every one but the enemy." 

It was fortunate for the government, that, as the land 
forces were so inefficient, the usual vigour and discipline 
continued in the navy. On the 12th of October, a squad- 
ron of one ship of the line and eight frigates, with troops 
and ammunition on board for Ireland, was arrested in its 
progress by sir John Borlase Warren, at Lough Swilly ; 
where, after a smart engagement, the ship of the line and 
three frigates were captured ; and, eventually, the whole 
of the squadron, with the exception of two frigates, was 
taken. 

Thenceforward, the chief governor applied himself as- 
siduously to retrieve the country from its devastation. 

France being disengaged from her continental enemies, 
the invasion of England became more than ever the object 
of her rulers. It was the favourite theme of their public 
orators. The conquest of their only remaining foe was 
anticipated with all the boastful confidence of the nation. 
Troops were collected on the opposite coast, and named The 
Army of England: transports of every kind were prepared, 
and a loan was negotiated on the credit of the English spoils. 
These threats had a very injurious influence upon the funds, 
and on the manufacturing class, already deprived of an ex- 
tensive market, by the hostile situation of so large a por- 
tion of their ancient consumers. 

But the enemy, whilst alarming the domestic empire of 
Great Britain, seemed to meditate a more distant blow. 
Her settlements in India being viewed with an eye of jeal- 
ousy, it was attempted to reach them by the way of Egypt, 
For this purpose, a large fleet, carrying twenty-thousand 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, ij. 

troops, sailed from Toulon. Accompanying them, were 
artists of all kinds, men of science in all its various depart- 
ments, with every requisite for the establishment of a great 
colony; and the conduct of the whole was given to Buona" 
parte. In his passage, he made an easy conquest of Malta; 
an island considered as almost invulnerable. Egypt's be- 
ing a province of the Turkish empire, then at peace with 
France, created no objection to the scheme. Having land- 
ed the troops, betook Alexandria by storm; gave the Beys 
a defeat, which rendered him master of Cairo ; organized a 
temporary government, and then set out in pursuit of the 
fugitives, to Syria. 

On the first of August, one month after the entry of the 
French, admiral Nelson discovered their fleet, anchored 
across Aboukir Bay, near the mouth of the Nile, consisting 
of thirteen ships of the line and four frigates; a number, 
superior to the English. Naval history does not record a 
more awful combat than that which followed. The confla- 
gration of the French ship, L'Orient, ended in a dreadful 
explosion; in which, the admiral and his whole crew of 
more than or.e-thousand men, perished; the terrific gran- 
deur of the scene being heightened by the gloom of night. 
Eleven sail of the line and two frigates testified the accus- 
tomed heroism of the British seamen and their great com- 
mander; who was loaded with honours of every kind: 
amongst which, was the appropriate title of Baron Nelson 
of the Nile. 

Sir Sidney Smyth had already gained high reputation on 
his proper element, the sea. The advance of the French 
into Syria, gave him an opportunity of displaying his tal- 
ents on land; by defeating Buonaparte, who, hitherto, had 
been successful in every undertaking. Intrusted with the 
defence of Acre, he compelled his antagonist to retire, after 
a series of desperate attacks, during a two months' siege. 

In the mean time, France was losing ground in Europe. 
Eussia, induced by the pecuniary aid of England, had join- 
ed Austria in another attempt to reduce her power; which 
new war had considerably impaired the credit of the re- 
publican arms, and her financial resources. In this state 
of things, France was surprised by the sudden appearance 
of Buonaparte from Egypt. The existing government was 
y immediately dissolved, and the executive authority 
committed to three Consuls;^ of whom, Buonaparte 
was appointed chief, for a term of ten years. 

He addressed a letter to the king of Great Britain, re- 



^oi HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

questing him to enter on a negotiation for a general peace 
But his desire did not meet a corresponding return. After 
some notes, passed between lord Grenville, secretary of state 
for foreign affairs, and M. Talleyrand, the French minister, 
the business terminated. 

India next demands attention. Seven years had elapsed, 
since Tippoo Saib had ceded to lord Cornwallis half his 
dominions, to be held, by the British and their Eastern al- 
lies, as the penalty of his hostile operations ; and, as securi- 
ty for his submission, delivered to the former his two eldest 
sons; an interesting pledge. Influenced by the French, he 
again gave indication of unfriendly movements, and there- 
by incurred the vengeance of his watchful enemy. At this 
time, the governor of British India was lord Mornington, 
(since entitled marquis Wellesley,) under whose directions, 
generals Harris and Stuart, with an immense army, march- 
ed to Seringapatam ; which they carried by assault. In the 
attack, Tippoo himself was killed. His remaining territo- 
ry was divided. The capital, with extensive districts, was 
assigned to the English : a large portion was given to the 
Nizam, and the rest to the ancient rajahs of Mysore, for- 
merly dispossessed by Hyder Ally. 

To the calamity of war, another, if possible more afflict- 
ing, was at this time added. Owing to unfavourable har- 
vest weather, the price of corn, and every other article of 
food, had reached a height, in Great Britain and Ireland, 
unknown at any former period. Not only was it impossible 
for the labourer to earn the means of purchasing the hum- 
blest necessaries of life, but the utmost dread existed, lest 
there should not remain seed sufficient for the ensuing- 
spring. However, by the humanity of those whom Provi- 
dence had placed above the pressure of a season, and by a 
general system of rigid economy throughout every rank, 
the people outlived their heart-rending situation. 

Benjamin Franklin, one of the greatest philosophers and 
statesmen, either of ancient or modern times, died at Phila- 
delphia, in 1790, in his eighty-fifth year. 

No man ever excelled Franklin in familiarly illustrating 
an argument. He was once a member of a society, in which 
it was contended that every person who gave a vote for a 
member of the legislature, should possess a certain amount 
of property; at least fifty dollars. The doctor was opposed 
to the restriction. — '* To day,'* said he, *' a man owns a jack- 
ass worth fifty dollars, and he is entitled to vote; but, be- 
fbre the next election, the jackass dies. The man, in the 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 255 

mean time, has become more experienced: his knowledge 
of the principles of government, and his acquaintance with 
mankind, are more extensive, and he is therefore better 
qualified to make a proper selection of rulers: — but, the 
jackass is dead^ and the man cannot -vote. Now, gentle- 
men," he continued, " pray inform me, in whom is the right 
of suffrage, — in the man^ or in Xho. jackass ? 

General Washington died at his seat, Mount Vernon, in 
Virginia, on the fourteenth day of December, 1800, in the 
sixty-eighth year of his age. He was the first elected Presi- 
dent of the United States; in which exalted ofiice, his abili- 
ties as a statesman were equally conspicuous with his former 
conduct as a soldier." 



THIRD PART. 

Legislative Union with Ireland. — Peace of Amiens^ 

g ONE consequence resulting from the rebellion, 

was a legislative union between Great Britain and 
Ireland; long a favourite measure of administration. No 
subject ever met so strenuous opposition in the Irish parlia- 
ment. Eloquence and intrigue failed to obtain a majority 
in its favour. But titles and emoluments were lavishly- 
employed, and hushed the new-born patriotism of many, 
who, hitherto, had voted with the ministerial benches. It 
was resolved, that Great Britain and Ireland should, on the 
first day of January in the present year, be styled the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; that they should be 
represented by one parliament: that four spiritual lords, 
(bishops,) and twenty-eight temporal peers of Ireland, should 
sit in the house of lords; the former by rotation of sessions, 
the latter by election for life; and one-hundred representa- 
tives in the house of commons. The regal title also under- 
went a change ; being divested of the frivolous assumption 
of " king of France;" which, for many ages, had been more 
a subject of ridicule, than a mark of dignity. 

On the continent, the talents of the First Consul had again 
compelled the allies to conclude a peace. Each succeed- 
ing treaty increased the dominion and the influence of 
France. The "armed neutrality," re-organized under this 
control, now assumed a formidable aspect. It threatened 
to deprive Great Britain either of her arrogated dominion 
of the sea, or the benefits arising from her commerce with 



1^56 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the Baltic. Russia, Sweden, Denmark, and Prussia, were 
leagued against her maritime encroachment. To defeat 
this compact, lord Nelson made an attack on the Danish 
fleet and batteries at Copenhagen; and, after one of the 
most dreadful engagements ever witnessed, burned, sunk, 
or captured, the entire fleet, and constrained the prince royal 
to sign an armistice. This was the termination of hostili- 
ties, in that quarter. The Russian emperor, Paul, whose 
actions had long denoted insanity, became intolerable to his 
subjects, and being found dead in his bed-chamber, was suc- 
ceeded by his son, Alexander; who immediately declared 
for the political system of his grand-mother, Catherine the 
second. 

Though, by his hasty departure from Egypt, Buonaparte 
had incurred the charge of desertion, he escaped the mor- 
tification of defeat. England was not an idle spectator of 
the French progress to the East. Eighteen-thousand men, 
under sir Ralph Abercrombie, Hutchinson, and other ex- 
perienced generals, were sent into Egypt, to check that 
ambitious march. At no former period, were the valour 
and discipline of the British army so conspicuous. The 
finest of the enemy's regiments were there literally trampled 
under foot; and in a short time the whole of their remain- 
ing forces agreed to evacuate the country. This service, 
however, was not performed without considerable loss, ag- 
gravated by a mortal wound received at Alexandria by the 
venerable commander; who thus ended a long series of 
brilliant achievements; and the infection of ophthalmia, a 
disorder, prevalent in the sandy regions, by which blindness 
was spread through the British ranks, was a melancholy 
addition to the usual miseries of war. 

An exhilarating event soon afterwards occurred in Eng- 
land. In the course of our history, it may have been fre- 
quently remarked, that a change of ministry is the harbin- 
ger of peace. The tone of decided hostility, which Mr. 
Pitt and several of his official colleagues had maintained 
against the government of France, rendered the formation 
of another cabinet necessary, to insure success in the intend- 
ed negotiation. Accordingly, they I'etired; and Mr. Ad- 
dington, speaker of the house of commons, was placed at 
the head of the new administration. 

The avowed cause of resignation was, that the king, re- 
ferring to his coronation oath, had refused to acquiesce in 
their wishes for catholic indulgence; a declaration which 
must be received with considerable doubt. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 257 

J g „^ On the 27th of March, a definitive treaty, between 
the French Republic, Spain, and the Batavian Re- 
public, on the one part, and Great Britain on the other, 
was signed at Amiens. By its conditions, the latter restor- 
ed to the three powers all its conquests during the war; 
"with the exception of Trinidad and Ceylon, respectively 
ceded by Spain and Batavia. Malta, which the British had 
retaken from the French, was returned to the order of St. 
John of Jerusalem ; under many stipulations, guaranteed by 
the great powers of Europe. 

Peace is at all times desirable by England. But it must 
have been particularly welcome, at this time; when her 
annual expenditure had arrived at thirty-five-millions, and 
her national debt at five-hundred-millions sterling: a sum 
so vast, that it cannot be contemplated by the human mind 



FOURTH PART. 

Renewal of the War. 

THE peace of Amiens gave the French Republic an 
opportunity of turning its arms against the negroes of St. 
Domingo ; who, having, in the early stage of the revolution, 
shaken off the bonds of slavery, were now, under Chris- 
tophe and Tuissaint, rapidly establishing their independ- 
ence. Nor were the British West India colonies free from 
insurrection. Considerable bloodshed was committed in 
many of these, by the same unhappy race, whom avarice 
has doomed to unremitting toil and unrelenting cruelty. 

Only a short time, however, could be exclusively devoted 
to their reduction. The same pen which communicated 
the intelligence of peace, is now employed in announcing 
a renewal of war. 

In October, the king of Spain annexed to the royal do- 
mains all the property of the knights of Malta in his do- 
minions, and declared himself, there, grand-master of the 
order. This step, which created a new obstacle to the 
treaty of Amiens, in addition to others which had before 
occurred, was supposed to have been taken at the sugges- 
tion of the French. Early in March, a royal message was 

^ sent to parliament, which was regarded as an imme- 
diate prelude to hostilities. It mentioned, that great 
preparations were going forward in the ports of France and 
Holland; which, though professedly directed to colonial 



258 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

service, yet, as discussions of uncertain issue were subsist- 
ing between the British and French governments, rendered 
it expedient to increase the means of national security. A 
corresponding address was unanimously voted, and a reso- 
lution passed for an augmentation of ten-thousand seamen. 
Parliament having adjourned during the Easter recess, 
some weeks passed in a state of awful suspense. After its 
re-assembling, his majesty informed both houses, that ho 
had given orders to lord Whitworth, his ambassador in 
France, that, if he could not, on a certain day, conclude the 
negotiations, he should immediately leave Paris; and that, 
in case of such an event, general Andreossi, the French am- 
bassador at London, had applied for his passport to return. 

On the part of France, the chief subjects of complaint 
were, the delay of the British troops in evacuating Malta 
and Alexandria, and the rancorous abuse of the first consul 
in the English newspapers. These were dwelt on with con- 
siderable warmth at a levee, in a conversation between Buo- 
naparte and lord Whitworth ; when, the ambassador, feel- 
ing indignant at the menacing gestures of the consul, pla- 
ced his hand u<pon his sword. 

Great Britain complained of severity and injustice prac- 
tised towards her merchants, immediately after the late 
peace ; of an army being kept in Holland, contrary to the 
remonstrances of the Batavian government ; the violation 
of the independence of Switzerland ; the annexation of other 
territories to the French dominions ; the conduct of France 
and Spain towards the knights of Malta ; and hostile indi- 
cations against Turkey. But, perhaps the greatest incen- 
tive to hostility, was a bravado, made by the first consul 
and his ministers, that " Great Britain could not singly con- 
tend with the power of France." 

On the 17th of May, war was declared against the French ; 
and, in the following month, against the Batavian, republic. 

Whilst measures were taking for supporting these hasty 
declarations, an insurrection broke out in Ireland. The 
promoter of this was Robert Emmett. He was a brother of 
Counsellor Emmett, who has been, for many years, one of 
the chief ornaments of the American bar; son of Dr. Em- 
mett, who once filled the office of state physician; and for- 
merly a distinguished student of Trinity College, at Dub- 
lin. The centre of this plot was the capital. On the evening 
of the 23d of July, about five-hundred of the very lowest 
classes, mostly armed with pikes, assembled; intending, in 
the first place, to attack the castle. The probability of sue- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 25J 

cess in such an undertaking*, with such materials, in a city- 
garrisoned by upwards of five-thousand regular troops, may 
easily be conjectured. Proceeding, however, through Thom- 
as-street, lord Kil warden, one of the principal judges, and 
his nephew Mr. Wolfe, unfortunately fell in their way, were 
dragged from their carriage, and massacred. Some of the 
yeomanry, when returning from parade, shared a similar 
fate ; all, unquestionably, without the concurrence of Mr. 
Emmett. In less than an hour, these infatuated people were 
imprisoned or dispersed. Their leader, and nearly twenty 
others of the party, were tried, and, after patient and im- 
partial investigations, condemned and executed. The fate 
of Mr. Emmett was particularly lamented ; though, even 
his friends could not acquit him, for having thus disturbed 
the peace of the country, whilst there existed no rational 
hope of gaining the desired end. 

Fortunately, that humane and respe<;ted nobleman, lord 
Ilardwicke, at that time presided over the Irish counsels, 
and checked the habitual malignity of those who then urg- 
ed the necessity of suspending the trial by jury. 
^ The first occurrence in this year, essential to be 

noticed, was the resignation of Mr. Addington, and 
the resumption of his office by Mr. Pitt. In the new minis- 
terial list appeared the name of lord Castlereagh, as presi- 
dent of the board of control. 

Intelligence being received, that some vessels, with treas- 
ure, from the South American mines, were expected at 
Cadiz, the Indefatigable and three more frigates were des- 
patched, to intercept them. Four Spanish ships, of the 
same class, being discovered steering for that port, the 
English frigates took a situation, each along-side of an an- 
tagonist ; and a shot was tired, to make them bring to. A 
close engagement commenced ; and, within ten miimtes, 
La Mercedes, the Spanish admiral's second, blew up, with 
a tremendous explosion. All on board perished, except for- 
ty, who were saved by the English boats. The others, after 
considerable loss, struck their colours, in succession. It 
was a peculiarly afflicting circumstance, that, in the vessel 
which exploded, were the whole family of a South Ameri- 
can, consisting of his lady, four daughters and five sons ; 
with the exception of one of the latter, who, with his father, 
had gone into another, and were thus spectators of the 
dreadful catastrophe. The lading of the captured vessels 
was of immense value; the destination of which for the ser- 
Z 



^60 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

vice of France, was the reason assigned for this act of pira- 
cy, so much censured, both at home and abroad. 

Shortly afterwards, the court of Spain commenced hos- 
tilities. 

Buonaparte had risen too high, to be contented with the 
smallest inferiority. Title was yet wanting, to fill the pres- 
ent measure of his ambition. This was easily obtained. The 
senate, from his own suggestions, requested that he would 
consent to become Emperor : addresses to the same effect 
followed from the army and the municipal bodies; and a 
motion in the tribunate, that he should be made Emperor 
of the French, with hereditary succession, passed, with only 
one dissentient voice ; that of Carnot ; who delivered his 
sentiments with great force and freedom. The title of prince 
and princess, was respectively conferred on all the branches 
of the Buonaparte family ; Napoleon and his empress, Jo- 
sephine, were crowned at Paris, by the pope ; and, in the 
following year, the new emperoi' placed the regal crown of 
Italy upon his head, at Milan. 

Soon afterwards, Francis the second, emperor of Ger- 
many, whose crown was previously elective, assumed the 
additional title of hereditary emperor of Austria. 

In the mean time, serious discussions occurred, between 
the emperor of Russia and the government of France. Al- 
exander remonstrated warmly against the usurping spirit of 
the latter, and insisted that the French troops should evac- 
uate the kingdom of Naples and the north of Germany. 
But France remained firm in her determination. A 
new league was therefore formed ; by which, Russia 
and Austria joined with England, for the purpose of secur- 
ing the independence of the different states. But Napoleon 
resolved to strike a decisive blow against his Austrian an- 
tagonist, before his troops could be joined by those of Rus- 
sia. Accordingly, he entered his territory at the head of one- 
hundred-and-fifty-thousand men, accompanied by marshals 
Bernadotte, Marmont, Davoust, Soult, Ney, and Lasnes, 
and took possession of Vienna; which, Francis with his 
court had abandoned, on his approach. In tv/o days after- 
wards. Napoleon set out to join a division w^hich was ad- 
vancing to meet the Russians; and, without loss of time, 
came in contact with the allies at Austerlitz. Here, was 
fought the memorable battle, in which were present the 
three emperors, of Austria, Russia, and France. This san- 
guinary action ended in the defeat of the allies, with the 
Toss of the greater part of their artillery and baggage ; and 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 26 i 

produced the submission of Francis to an armistice : by the 
terms of which, the victor was to retain all his conquests, 
until the signing of a definitive peace. 

Whilst the French were thus pursuing a victorious ca- 
reer on land, their ambitious ruler experienced the defeat 
of his hopes in gaining a superiority at sea. That element 
still witnessed the almost unvaried triumphs of the British, 
Off Cape Trafalgar, near the southern point of Andalusia, 
the combined fleets of France and Spain, amounting to 
thirty-three sail of the line, were totally overthrown by Nel- 
son, with twenty-seven. This great officer had laid a plan 
of attack, a master-piece of naval skill. Having given the 
memorable signal, " England expects every man to do his 
duty," he bore down in a double column. The enemy, on 
his approach, extended their line in the form of a crescent. 
But, though the victory which followed deprived them of 
twenty-four sail of the line, the British suffered a much 
heavier loss, in the death of their commander. His coun- 
try justly appreciated his services. The honours paid, by a 
grateful and admiring nation, to the memory of Nelson, 
were never surpassed, in any age. In the same degree that 
they condemned the authors of the danger, they applauded 
the heroes by whom it was repelled. 

An anecdote is told, of one of the crew of a British ves- 
sel engaged in that decisive battle, which is strikingly char- 
acteristic of a brave seaman. A limb having been carried 
off by a cannon-ball, when some of his comrades were bear- 
ing him on their shoulders, to the surgeon's room, below, 
he called out to one of his messmates — " I say, Jim, give 
a look about the deck, for my leg : you'll find a brass buc- 
kle in the shoe ; take care of it for me, that's a good fellow : 
I'll do as much for you again." 

About this time, lord Cornwallis, who had been appoint- 
ed successor to marquis Wellesley, died, at an advanced 
age, in India. 

The death of those two prominent characters Avas 
* followed by that of Mr. Pitt. In the preceding sum- 
mer, having sensibly felt the decline of a constitution, orig- 
inally delicate, and long severely injured by care, fatigue, 
and the misfortunes of the allies, he retired to Bath, with 
very faint hopes of recovery. On the 23d of January, he 
expired, in the forty-seventh year of his age. This minister 
has been styled, by his own party, '* The pilot who weath- 
ered the storm ;" but, though we grant that he was a states- 
man of considerable talent, it was he who raised the gale— « 



■262 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

the people, Avho triumphantly survived it. He only assessed 
the taxes — the people had the merit of paying them. 

Lord HaAvkesbury having declined the offer of becoming 
his successor, a total change was made in the administra- 
tion. Lord Grenville became first lord of the treasury; 
earl Spencer, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Windham, secretaries of 
state ; lord Erskine, (the late commoner,) lord chancellor. 
Important offices were also assigned to lords Fitzwilliam, 
Moira, Sidmouth, and Hovvick, (Addington and Grey.) The 
duke of Bedford was made lord lieutenant of Ireland; and, 
in that kingdom, George Ponsonby was made lord chancel- 
lor, Curran, the celebrated orator, master of the rolls. 

One of the first measures brought forward by the new 
cabinet, was an alteration in the military system ; particu- 
larly in the mode of recruiting the army. By this excel- 
lent arrangement, instead of being, as before, engaged for 
life, the soldiers are now enlisted for a term of "years, with 
privileges augmented in proportion to the length of ser- 
vice; commencing with seven, and concluding with twen- 
ty-one years. 

That was an act of policy mingled with humanity. The 
abolition of the slave-trade, which succeeded, was one of 
humanity required by justice. More than tv/enty years 
had passed, since Mr. Wilberforce commenced his annual 
appeal to parliament, in behalf of the long oppressed Afri- 
can. In that period, much had been done to lessen his suf- 
ferings during the passage from his native shore; and this 
total abolition of a nefarious traffic would have been voted 
much sooner, but for the interference of commercial inter- 
est, in the sea-ports. 

In about a year after this, a similar non-importation 
commenced in the United States of America. 

Meanwhile, a splendid achievement was performed by 
the British army, in Calabria. Near Maida, sir John Stu- 
art, with a force of less than five-thousand, defeated seven- 
thousand French infantry, under Regnier. This affair, 
which caused the expulsion of the enemy from that quar- 
ter, was decided on a plain, by the bayonet. 

A horrid proposal of assassinating the French emperor, 
having been intimated, by a foreigner, to Mr. Fox, this ex- 
cellent man, with his characteristic generosity, disclosed 
the infamous plot, in a letter to M. Talleyrand ; and, at the 
same time, expressed a desire to treat of peace. But a dif- 
ficulty arose. The British cabinet refused to act separate- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 263 

ly from Russia, and, after much negotiation, the treaty was 
abandoned. 

Every day increased the political influence of Napoleon. 
Having first succeeded in overawing all the inferior sover- 
eigns of Germany, and forming an alliance, named the Con- 
federation of the Rhine, of which he himself was the head, 
he compelled Francis to relinquish the office of chief of the 
Germanic body, and yield the precedence to France ; and 
used a similar tone of authority to the king of Prussia. 
Roused, however, from his long continued lethargy, Fred- 
erick engaged single handed against Napoleon. But, this 
spirit, which, at one period, might have preserved his dig- 
nity, now hastened his degradation. The victory of Jena 
gave his enemy possession of Berlin ; and the subsequent 
operations, in which the Russians, too, were almost invaria- 
bly defeated, enabled him to dictate his own terms in the 
treaty of Tilsit. By this, the temporizing Frederick lost a 
large territory, Alexander acknowledged the confederation 
of the Rhine, and Joseph, Louis, and Jerome, Buonaparte, 
as kings of Naples, Holland, and Westphalia. It is said, 
that a request, made by the queen of Prussia, induced Na- 
poleon to relinquish a considerable part of his acquisitions. 
When at dinner, on removing the napkin from her plate, 
the concession was found, thus laconically expressed: "Si- 
lesia." 

" When I was at Tilsit," relates Napoleon, " with the 
emperor Alexander and the king of Prussia, I was the most 
ignorant of the three^ in military affairs. These two sov- 
ereigns, especially the king of Prussia, were completely at 
home, as to the number of buttons there ought to be in front 
of a jacket, how many behind, and the manner in which the 
skirts ought to be cut. No tailor in the army knew bet- 
ter than king Frederic, how many measures of cloth it took 
to make a jacket. In fact, I was nobody, in comparison with 
them. They continually tormented me with questions 
about matters belonging to tailors, of which I was entirely 
ignorant; though, in order not to affront them, I answered 
just as gravely as if the fate of an army depended upon the 
tut of a jacket. When I went to see the king of Prussia, 
instead of a library, I found he had a large room, like an 
arsenal, furnished with shelves and pegs, in which were 
placed fifty or sixty jackets of various modes. Every day 
he changed his fashion, and put on a different one. He was 
a tall, dry looking fellow, and would give a good idea of 
Don Quixote. He attached more importance to the cut 



'264 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

of a dragoon or a hussar uniform, than was necessary foi;' 
the salvation of a kingdom. At Jena, his army performed 
the finest and most showy manoeuvres possible,- — but I soon 
put a stop to their coglioiiei-ie^ and taught them, that to 
iight,and to execute dazzling manoeuvres and wear splendid 
uniforms, were different affairs. If the French army had 
been commanded by a tailor, the king of Prussia would cer- 
tainly have gained the day; from his superior knowledge of 
clothing ; but as victories depend more upon the skill of the 
general commanding the troops, than upon that of the tailor 
■who makes their jackets, he consequently failed." * 

During these momentous transactions, the British ad- 
mirals made several captures. Sir Home Popham, with a 
body of troops under general Beresford, after assisting iu 
the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, ventured, without 
any authority from home, to carry his whole naval force to 
South America. In the beginning of June, he entered the 
river Plata, and soon afterwards the general took posses- 
sion of Buenos Ayres. Here, they found a considerable 
treasure. But, being attacked by Liniers, a French colo- 
nel in the Spanish service, the British troops, after a san- 
guinary contest, surrendered themselves prisoners of war. 
The succeeding operations, in that quarter, it is unnecessa- 
ry to detail. We shall only mention, that, in the following 
year, sir S. Auchmuty stormed Montevideo on the same 
river; that, in a few months afterwards, general Whitelock 
made an unskilful attack on Buenos Ayres, which ended 
in the destruction of a great part of his brave soldiers, and 
the evacuation of the country by the whole of the British 
army. 

Whitelock, on his return, was, by the sentence of a court 
martial, cashiered, and declared totally unworthy to serve 
his majesty, in any capacity whatever. 

Within a very short period, w^e have recorded the death 
of three conspicuous public characters. The great politi- 
cal opponent of Mr. Pitt was carried off, on the 7th of Sep- 
tember, in his 58th year, by a dropsy. Though the loss 
of Mr. Fox was a severe blow to the administration, yet it 
produced no change worthy of notice ; except the substi- 
tution of lord Ho wick, as secretary in the foreign depart- 
ment, and the admission into the cabinet of the deceased 
statcman's relative, lord Holland. 

• Voice from St. Helena, Vol. IL 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 263 

J ., - „ Early in the spring, lord Howick made a motioil 
in the house of commons, which caused a dissolu- 
tion of the ministry. He proposed, that catholics, in Great 
Britain, should be entitled to the same privilege of serving 
and advancing in the army, that was possessed by those of 
the same religion in Ireland. But this indulgence having 
been represented to the king as impolitic, the conversa- 
tions which arose on the subject, between his majesty and 
the cabinet, made it necessary to form a new administra- 
tion. The duke of Portland was placed at the head of the 
treasury, lords Hawksbury and Castlereagh, with Mr. Can- 
ning, were made secretaries of state, and Mr. Perceval was 
appointed chancellor of the exchequer. Lords Eldon and 
Manners succeeded Erskine and Ponsonby; and the new 
chief governor of Ireland was the duke of Richmond. 

Even the Ottoman court was now under French influ- 
ence. The Dardanelles and the Bosphorus were closed 
against English and Russian vessels. In consequence, a 
fleet was sent under the command of sir J. Duckworth, 
with orders to force a passage; and, if certain terms Vv'ere 
not arranged, to bombard Constantinople. Having passed 
the outer castles, and done considerable damage to the 
Turkish fleet and batteries, the English admiral anchored 
within eight miles of the city, and commenced a negotia- 
tion. But his proposals were rejected. Formidable pre- 
parations were made on shore, and a nearer approach to 
the city was impracticable. Wherefore, he retreated, and 
repassed the castles ; which assailed him with vast marble 
shot; one of which, weighing eight-hundred pounds, cut in 
two the mainmast of the Windsor. 

That defeat gave less uneasiness to the nation, than a 
succeeding victory. Fearing that the influence of Napo- 
leon would turn the naval power of Denmark against Eng- 
land, the ministry despatched to Copenhagen an immense 
fleet; which, after enveloping that capital in P.ames, car- 
ried off her entire navy and military stores. This flagrant 
act clearly evinced the sentiments of the British ministry ; 
who thus maintained the barbarous principle, that a meas- 
ure, though morally wrong, may be politically right. 

But, even in a political view, it v/as erroneous. In avoid- 
ing an uncertain, they raised an immediate, enemy. The 
emperor of Russia prohibited all intercourse with the ag- 
gressors, and restored the armed neutrality. 

When Napoleon had accomplished his present designs 
in the north, he directed his ambition towards another 



.66 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

quarter. Portugal and Spain became the objects of attack. 
Having entered the first, he obliged the court to seek 
refuge in Brazil. In Spain, he seemed still more success- 
ful. Through the perfidy of the queen, and her favourite, 
Godoy, (styled the Prince of Peace,) and the weakness of 
her husband, Charles the fourth, he conveyed that mon- 
arch, with his son Ferdinand, to the interior of France, and 
obtained possession of the throne. The Spanish 
crown was then given to Joseph Buonaparte ; and 
that of Naples, which, by his removal, became vacant, to 
Murat, brother-in-law of Napoleon. 

As soon as this usurpation became known, an explosion 
of indignant patriotism burst forth amongst the people, 
from one extremity of Spain to the other. To give a regu- 
lar organization to the popular eflbrts, provincial "juntas" 
were established. Of these, the supreme junta at Seville 
took the lead, proclaimed Charles's son, Ferdinand the 
seventh, declared war against France, and solicited the 
friendship and aid of England. Never was any foreign in- 
terest adopted with more ardour and unanimity. Peace 
with Spain was ordered on the 5th of July: the Spanish 
prisoners were liberated, clothed, and sent to join their 
countrymen. 

In Portugal, a similar spirit of resistance was evinced, 
and British aid requested. Accordingly, sir Arthur Wel- 
lesley, having landed at Mondego Bay, directed his march 
towards Lisbon, then occupied by the French, and after de- 
feating a corps under La Borde, at Roleia, encountered 
Junot, at Vamiera; over whom, he gained a splendid vic- 
tory, which obliged the enemy to consent to a total evacu- 
ation of Portugal. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley, who now began his career on the 
Peninsula, by delivering Portugal from so dangerous an 
enemy, had previously distinguished himself in arms, par- 
ticularly at Assye, in India. He was born in Ireland, at 
Dangan Castle, in the county of Meath. His father, the 
late lord Mornington, had placed him, at an early period of 
life, in that profession which enabled him to perform 
achievements so important to Europe, and so glorious to 
himself. 

A charge made, during Mr. Pitt's administration, by Mr. 
Whitbread, against lord Melville, paymaster of the navy, 
and his secretary, Mr. Trotter, had produced their degra- 
dation. There was, at this time, brought before parlia- 
mcntj a subject of much greater, and more extraordinary, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 267 

interest. Colonel Wardle, after mentionincj a system of 
eor^upt^on ^vhich had long prevailed in the military depart- 
ment, direetly charged the commander-in-chief, the duke 
of York, with having suffered himself to be swayed by a 
mistress, named Clarke; who had carried on a traffic in 
commissions. He asserted, that Mrs. Clarke possessed the 
power of military promotion ; and that she received pecu- 
niary consideration, of which the commander-in-chief was 
a partaker. During the proceedings in this remarkable 
case, which occupied the greater part of two months, and 
drew fuller houses than were almost ever known, long and 
minute examinations took place, of persons of both sexes; 
several of whom were of a description rarely seen at the bar 
of a legislative assembly; and gave answers, (especially the 
female most concerned,) which often more contributed to 
the entertainment, than corresponded with the dignity, of 
that body. That Mrs. C. had received sums of money for 
obtaining promotions, clearly appeared ; but, the proof of 
the duke's participation depended chiejfly on the credibility 
of that female herself. As he was defended by the minis- 
try, he was exculpated by a majority, of two-hundred -and- 
thirty-five, to one-hundred-and-twelve. His situation, the 
official duties of which he certainly performed much to the 
general advantage of the army, he had in the mean time 
resigned. 

When this investigation was concluded, a vast armament 
was prepared in the English harbours. Its principal object 
was to gain possession of the islands commanding the en- 
trance of the Scheldt, and destroy the French ships of war 
in that river; with the dock yards and arsenals; on which, 
great labour had been expended, as an essential part of Na- 
poleon's project of contending, on equal terms, with the 
navy of England. The command of this expedition was 
given to lord Chatham; a general by profession, brother of 
the late Mr. Pitt. The event accorded with this injudicious, 
or rather criminal, selection, of an inexperienced leader ; 
and too fully justified the anticipations of an indignant pub- 
lic. Never was an enterprise so extensively fatal to a Brit- 
ish army, and so disgraceful to its projectors. When, by 
the commander's inaction, the opportunity of employing his 
forces had been lost, the ill-fated soldiery were left in the 
pestiferous marshes of Walcheren, without tents to cover, 
or medicine to relieve, until half the land-forces were either 
buried or expiring. 

By a very surprising occurrence, Sweden, which, dur- 



358 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

ing this war, had generally been favourable to England, at 
length assumed a hostile attitude. Marshal Bei'nadotte, 
prince of Ponte Corvo, was chosen Crown Prince, and there- 
by became successor to the throne of that kingdom ; afford- 
ing an example, unprecedented, in modern history, of an 
ancient monarchy rejecting every branch of its royal line, 
and choosing for its future sovereign a soldier of fortune ; a 
stranger, of humble origin, known to the nation only by his 
residence in the north of Germany, as an officer of Napo- 
leon. Immediately, the Swedish court issued a decree of 
non-intercourse with Great Britain, and declared its adher- 
ence to the "continental system," which excluded every 
article of British manufacture. 



FIFTH PAR r, 

REGENCY. 

Co7itlnuation of the War — Peace of Pans. 

THE latter part of this year was marked by the recur- 
yence of a domestic calamity, producing a change in the exe- 
cutive, which forms an era in the present reign. The king, 
in consequence, it was supposed, of deep affliction, from 
the sufferings of his youngest daughter, the princess Ame- 
lia, which terminated in her death, was attacked by the 
mental malady under which he had before laboured. It 
therefore became necessary to appoint a Regent; and, on 
the 5th of February, that important office was as- 
signed, by parliament, to the prince of Wales. 

A second enumeration of the inhabitants of Great Brit- 
ain was now completed. This exhibited a population of 
twelve-millions-five-hundred-thousand ; and an increase of 
above one-million-and-a-half, in ten years. The census was 
ordered to be made in Ireland ; but it was not very accurate- 
ly taken. Its inhabitants, however, may be estimated, then, 
at five-millions. 

The annual expenditure of the empire, including interest 
on the public debt, was, at this period, upwards of sixty- 
millions sterling. 

Contrary to general expectation, the early friends of the 
Prince, amongst whom those able and upright Irishmen, 
k>rd Moira and Mr. Sheridan, held a distinguished place, 



HISTORY OP ENGLAND. 269 

were not treated with that degree of political confidence, 
expected by themselves and desired by the people. The 
administration proceeded unchanged, until deprived of its 
leader by a most tragical and extraordinary event. As Mr. 
Perceval was entering the lobby of the house of commons, 
^ a person named Bellingham, fired a pistol at him; 
the ball from which pierced his heart. He stag- 
gered, fell, and in a short time expired. It was soon dis- 
covered that the act was in revenge of a supposed injury. 
Bellingham, having, in a commercial visit to Russia, under- 
gone losses, for which he thought the British govermnent 
were bound to procure him redress, their refusal to take 
any cognizance of his case made such an impression on his 
mind, that he resolved to sacrifice a conspicuous member. 
The assassin suffered death for a deed of atrocity, which 
would have been a national stain, had it not evidently result- 
ed from a degree of mental distemperature. 

Since we last alluded to Napoleon, he inflicted addition- 
al humiliation on the house of Austria. Francis had again 
tried the fortune of the field, and had again been conquered. 
The battle of Wagram, in which the archduke Charles and 
Napoleon contended with more than three-hundred-thou- 
sand men and twelve-hundred pieces of artillery, having 
ended in the total overthrow of the Austrians, obliged them 
to conclude a disadvantageous peace. This gave the vic- 
tor, and the assisting members of the Rhenish Confederacy,, 
a large portion of the Austrian dominions, constrained the 
unhappy Francis not only to acquiesce in all his ambitious 
projects, but, by a secret article of the treaty, to deliver, to 
his enemy, a beloved and aft^ectionate child. In conformity 
with this stipulation, Josephine, who had given no heir to 
Napoleon, was divorced, and her place supplied by Maria 
Louisa; the interesting sacrifice of an unworthy parent. 

But, on the Peninsula, the French arms were opposed 
with determined heroism. In Spain, victory in one quar- 
ter was followed in another by defeat. There, they were 
opposed, not by the cold calculations of political expedien- 
cy, but by the ardent feelings of an insulted nation. The 
ablest marshals of France, assisted by the national desertion 
of an enervated nobility, though they might have ultimate- 
ly destroyed, had as yet failed to intimidate, the people. 
The disastrous retreat of the gallant Moore, upon Corunna, 
Avhere he ended his misfortunes, and his remaining army 
purchased their embarkation by the sword, was but a tem- 
porary check to the British arms. The long series of sue- 



270 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

cess which followed the cautious intrepidity of Wellesley, 
(now lord Wellington,) aided by such officers as Hope, 
Beresford, and Graham ; Hill, Sterrett, and Picton, obliged 
the new sovereign to evacuate his capital, with slender 
hopes of a return. The victories of Talavera, Buzaco, Fu- 
entes d'Honor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, and Salamanca, 
were gained, in person, by lord Wellington. The battle 
of Albuera was won by beresford; that of Baroso, by Gra- 
ham: Arroyo del Molino, by Hill; and Sterrett, claimed 
the honours of Tariffa. The commanders who opposed 
the British, Spanish, and Portuguese combined armies, 
were Joseph Buonaparte, and Soult ; Victor, Junot, Kel- 
lerman, Sebastiani, Ney, Mortier, Suchet, Massena, and 
Marmont. But, only the most remarkable conflicts are 
here recorded. Nor, is any notice taken of the numerous 
engagements fought exclusively by the Spaniards, under 
their own officers. 

Whilst these operations promised to wrest the Spanish 
sceptre from the grasp of violence, the continued success 
of the British navy, and of the land-forces on colonial duty, 
had annihilated Napoleon's transmarine dominion. He had 
liot now remaining a foot of land in either of the Indies, nor 
a ship on the Indian ocean. Some consolation, however, in 
these disappointments, was derived, from the birth of a son ; 
Avho, even in his cradle, was advanced to the regal dignity, 
as king of Rome. 

As he was unable to preserve the ancient colonies in Asia 
or America, Napoleon seemed anxious to gain an equiva- 
lent in Europe. This equivalent was Russia. Alexander's 
refusal to concur in his favourite scheme of excluding the 
British commerce from the whole European continent, he 
regarded as a sufficient cause for marching against that 
country, with all the disposable force of his own territories, 
or those under his influence. The mass of military power 
thus collected, surpassed, probably in numerical amount, 
certainly in discipline, any with which a European con- 
queror had taken the field, since the ages of barbarism ; and 
was undoubtedly designed to greater changes, than mere 
commercial regulation. 

The first movement connected with Napoleon's plan, was 
the occupation of Swedish Pomerania. Twenty-thousand 
French troops were stationed there, as a pledge for the con- 
duct of Sweden in the ensuing contest. Early in the spring, 
the grand army began its march towards Poland; and on 
its way was joined by a body of Prussians. The emperor, 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 271 

Alexander, prepared to meet the storm, by quitting his 
capital, and advancing* to Wihia; where, he met Barclay dc 
Tolly, commander in chief of his first army. On the 16th 
of May, Napoleon, accompanied by his empress, reached 
Dresden; at which place, they were to hold an interview 
with the emperor and empress of Austria. 

At length, the invading army, commanded by the French 
emperor, advanced in nine divisions; composing a total so 
much superior to the Russians, that a defensive plan, only, 
could be recommended by the cabinet of Petersburgh. This 
was, to retreat gradually, and make a stand in favoural)le 
positions. When the determination was taken, the danger 
became still more imminent. Austria sent her stipulated 
number of troops to act with the French, already strength- 
ened by the sudden junction of the Poles. The first great 
stand was made at Smolensko; from which, after a sangui- 
nary effort, the Russians retreated. Moscow being now 
the great object of contest, a strong position was taken 
at Borodina. Here, an obstinate combat took place, and 
each side claimed the victory; yet, whilst Te Deum was 
singing at Petersburgh, the French, with only a little skir- 
mishing, entered Moscovv'. So far. Napoleon seemed vic- 
torious. Russia seemed united to his empire. But, whilst 
its fate was trembling in the balance, the scale was quickly 
turned against the invader, by an unexpected enemy — an 
awful conflagration. To deprive the French of a place for 
winter quarters, the governor of Moscow caused the city 
to be set on fire, in many places; which occasioned a de- 
struction, so extensive, that, within a few days, not more 
than a tenth of the buildings remained unconsumed. No 
shelter could be found amongst the ruins. On the 19th of 
October, Napoleon left that scene of desolation. His re- 
treating army were closely pressed by an exasperated foe; 
and, what was still worse, by a Russian winter. Half bu- 
ried in snow, stiffened by the frosty their sufferings were 
extreme, their losses of every kind, prodigious. Horses 
died in so great numbers, that nearly all their artillery were 
abandoned, and almost the entire of their cavalry, dismount- 
ed. Whole bodies of men, disabled by cold and hunger, 
surrendered without resistance. Every thing wore the ap- 
pearance of disaster and dismay. When the army reached 
Wilna, Napoleon proceeded rapidly to Paris; where, such 
was the impression of his former achievements, his re-ap- 
pearance was attended with all the accustomed demonstra- 
tions of reverence and attachment. 



27J HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

His totui losses, by capture, up to the 26th of December, 
■svere stated, in the Russian accounts, at thirteen-hundred- 
and-thirty-nine officers, (amongst whom forty-one were 
generals,) one-hundred -and -sixty-seven -thousand non-com- 
missioned officers and privates, and eleven-hundred-and- 
thirty-one pieces of cannon I 

,g, -, The king of Prussia now assumed the part of a 
mediator between the belligerent parties. But, his 
proposals for a truce, having met with small attention, he 
took the decisive step of forming an alliance with Alexan- 
der ; and in a few months they were joined by Austria. 

The French senate having placed at Napoleon's disposal 
three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand men, he caused the em- 
piTss to be declared regent during his intended absence, 
and in the middle of April departed for the army. Besides 
the imperial guards, his forces were divided into twelve 
corps. The viceroy of Italy (Beauharnois) was appointed 
second in command, and Berthier chief of the staft\ The 
second divisions were headed by marshals and generals 
long known in the service, and no traces appeared of the 
Russian disasters. 

Passing over many serious conflicts, sometimes in favour 
of the French, at other times in favour of the allies, follow- 
ed by an abortive negotiation, we shall attend to the greater 
operations which succeeded. Hostilities recommenced at 
Dresden ; where the allies were defeated, with considera- 
ble loss. The next important contest was at Leipsic ; for the 
decision of which, a larger force was assembled, than had, 
perhaps, ever acted, on so confined a theatre. The first 
general attack by the allies, made to the south of the town, 
after much slaughter, left the opposite arn)ies nearly in 
their former position. Two days afterwards, another attack 
was made, on the town itself. In this conflict, the French 
lost seventeen battalions of German auxiliaries, by deser- 
tion, and forty-thousand men in killed, wounded, and pris- 
oners. Next' day, the 18th of October, Leipsic was taken 
by assault ; about two hours before which. Napoleon had 
escaped. The king of Saxony, with all his court, upwards 
of fifty-thousand French troops, and their magazines, artil- 
lery, and stores, were taken in the city. In a few weeks af- 
terwards, fifty-thousand more surrendered ; making a total 
loss, on the side of the French, within a month, ofonc-hun- 
dred-and-forty-thousand men ; and, within a year, adding^ 
their losses in the retreat from Moscow, and in Spain, oi 
four-hundred-thousand. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 273 

Meanwhile, the victories of Wellington, particularly at 
Vittoria and St. Sebastian, had enabled him to drive the 
enemy before him, and gain a firm footing in France. On 
the 12th of March, a detachment, commanded by 
' marshal Beresford, occupied Bordeaux; where, the 
mayor and principal inhabitants assumed the white cock- 
ade, and declared for the Bourbons. 

Notwithstanding the immense losses of Napoleon, which 
enabled his northern pursuers, also, to enter France, the 
result was for sometime extremely doubtful. However, be- 
fore the end of February, they arrived in sight of Paris. On 
the 30th of March, Joseph Buonaparte, assisted by mar- 
shals Marmont and Mortier, took a position on the heights 
near the city, in a long line; the centre of which was pro- 
tected by several redoubts, and one-hundred-and-fifty pieces 
of cannon. An attack being commenced, by the two prin- 
ces of Wurtemberg, the French, after an obstinate resist- 
ance, were defeated. Paris then capitulated ; and on the fol- 
lowing day was entered by the allied sovereigns, with their 
guards; the most exact order being every where preserved. 

On the first of Aprils the French senate asBembled, and 
formed a provisional government ; at the head of wdiich, 
was Talleyrand, prince of Bcnevento. On the following day, 
they pronounced, that Napoleon Buonaparte had violated 
his compact with the people, that he had forfeited the throne, 
and that the hereditary right established in his family was 
abolished. 

Whilst these great events were transacting, Napoleon, 
learning the danger impending over his capital, moved his- 
army from Troycs to Sens ; and, arriving at Fromont at the 
time of the last battle, would have reached Paris on the 
same day, had it not been in possession of the allies. He 
then retired to Fontainbleau ; from which, on the 4th of 
April, he sent a deputation to the senate, offering to abdi- 
cate in favour of his son. 

A treaty between the allied powers and Buonaparte was 
signed at Paris ; by the articles of which, in return for his 
renunciation of the crowns of France and Italy, he and Ma- 
ria Louisa were to retain the imperial title for life : he was 
to hold the isle of Elba, in full sovereignty, whilst he lived ; 
and the empress was to have the dutchies of Parma, Gues- 
talla, and Placentia, with succession to her son. To this 
treaty, however, the British ministry refused their concur- 
rence, further than respected the assignment of Elba and 
the Italian dutchies. 



74 HISTORY OF ExNiGLAND. 

When the fallen emperor was on his way to his little in- 
sular dominion, the Bourbon sovereign, now recognised as 
I^ouis the eighteenth, left his retirement in England, and 
made his solemn entry into Paris. 

The general peace, between France, and the allied pow- 
ers of Austria, Russia, Great Britain, and Prussia, was 
signed at Paris on the 13th of May. The principal acqui- 
sitio'ns retained by Great Britain, were, Malta, Tobago, St. 
I^ucia, and the Isle of France. In a distinct article between 
France and Great Britain, Louis engaged to join his efforts 
with the latter, for procuring the total abolition of the slave 
trade, by all the Christian powers; and to abolish it with 
Fegard to France at the end of five years. In August, an 
arrangement was concluded with the prince of Orange, 
then restored in Holland, as king of the Netherlands ; by 
which. Great Britain retained the Cape of Good Hope, 
Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. 

Thus, peace was happily restored in Europe. But Amer- 
ica was still suffering the calamities of war. Great Britain 
and the United States were in the midst of a sanguinary 
contest. 



SIXTH PART. 

PEACE OF GHENT. 

THE various decrees of the two great European bellig- 
erents, intended to retaliate distress, had been carried to a 
degree so destructive and humiliating, that neutral rights 
were no longer regarded. Acquiescence or submission, on 
the part of those affected, was alike impolitic. That was 
commercial ruin : this, national dishonour. The Embargo, 
and other defensive experiments, in the United States, un- 
der the administration of Mr. Jefferson, and the serious ne- 
gotiations under his successor, Mr. Madison, had served 
more to inflame than conciliate. It is not entirely agreed, 
which of the rival powers was the most unjustifiable ag- 
gressor. The oiTended power, however, had a right of 
choosing her antagonist. On the 18th of June, 1812, the 
Congress passed an act, declaring the " actual existence of 
war between the United States and Great Britain.*' 

An attack on Canada was the first grand object of the 
American government. Operations against it commenced 
in July. General Hull entered the upper province, and js- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^^75 

sued a proclamation to the Canadians, in a style expressing 
confidence of success. But his campaign ended in disg;'acc 
— not to his soldiers, but himself. Having proceeded to 
Fort Maiden, he was foiled in his attempts to invest it ; and, 
when the British general Brock, had collected a force for 
its relief, he retired to Fort Detroit ; which he surrendered, 
with twenty-five-hundred men, before he gave them an op- 
portunity of contending. There ensued in that quarter 
many severe engagements ; in some of which the Ameri- 
cans displayed considerable bravery, and evident improve- 
ment in discipline. On Lake Erie, the American commo- 
dore, Perry, gained a complete victory over captain Bar- 
clay ; and, on Lake Champlain, M'Donough was equally 
successful against an English squadron commanded by 
captain Downie. 

On the Atlantic, the British found in the American frig- 
ates an enemy more vigorous than any that they had ever 
encountered. The loss of a few vessels of the same de- 
scription, considered in the ordinary way, was of no im- 
portance. But the cause of that loss was unusually interest- 
ing. If it proceeded, as the English seamen declare, from 
an effective superiority on the side of the enemy's ships 
engaged, (a point too delicate for our discussion,) much 
blame attaches to the Admiralty, in subjecting their ves- 
sels to surprise. To say more on this subject, is hot requir- 
ed. It would be improper, and superfluous : improper, as 
tending to animosity ; superiiuous, as the bravery of either 
nation cannot for a moment be contested. 

The attack on Washington must always be a subject of 
deep regret. The destruction of the public buildings, in a 
city rendered venerable by so illustrious a name, might well 
accord with the previous barbarities of Cockburn, but form- 
ed a lamented contrast to the Peninsular achievements of 
the gallant Ross. Even in revenge for asserted injuries re- 
ceived in Canada, the measure was impolitic. The most 
glorious retaliation, on a reflecting enemy, is forbearance. 

In the following month, (Sept. 12,) admiral sir A. Coch- 
rane and General Ross made an attack on Baltimore. The 
fleet commenced a tremendous bombardment against Fort 
M'Henry : the army landed at North Point, about eight 
miles below the city. But the utmost efforts of the fleet 
were unable to make the least impression on the fort; and 
the purpose of the attack by land was abandoned; either 
from the lo|s of the commander, or the expectation of a 
spirited resistance, near the city. As the van-guard wa^; 
A a 2 



276 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

engaged with the American riflemen, general Ross receh— 
ed a mortal wound, in the breast. Sending for colonel 
Brooke, the second in command, he gave him some insiruc- 
tions, recommended his young children to the protection 
©f his country, and exclaiming, " My dear wife," expired. 

The war with the United States being extremely unpop- 
ular in the British empire, injurious to her commerce and 
manufactures, and, since the continental pacification, easily 
concluded, proposals of peace were made, in a letter from 
lord Castlereagh, and accepted by the American President. 
The commissioners at Ghent having, after a long negotia- 
tion, come to an agreement, a treaty of peace and amity 
•was signed on the '24th of December; which was afterwards 
ratified by both governments. The articles of this treaty 
related chiefly to the disputes respecting boundaries; for 
the determination of which it was agreed that comm.ission- 
ers should reciprocally be appointed. Both parties cov- 
enanted to persevere in their efl*orts for the abolition of the 
slave-trade, but no notice was taken of the circumstances 
•which had occasioned the war.* 

This year was rendered memorable by a concourse of 
illustrious visiters to the English capital; in number and 
rank surpassing any modern example ; at the head of whom 
were the emperor of Russia and his sister, and the king of 
Prussia with his two sons. 

The administration had now leisure to contemplate the 
situation of the country; which, even the return of peace 
had not restored to internal happiness, or commercial pros- 
perity. The sudden change, from hostile to pacific rela- 
tions, produced, in every class, a degree of pecuniary dis- 
tress, unequalled even at the commencement of the war. 
—The annual expenditure exceeded seventy-five-millions: 
the funded debt of the nation, eight-hundred-miliions ster- 
ling. — The navy comprised above one-thousand vessels ; 
of which, more than one-hundred were of the line, and 
ubove three-hundred were frigates. 

* The most Imporlant military event thjit occurred between the 
belligerents, after the sig-ning of the treaty, was an a'bortive attack 
on New Orleans. In this, (on the 8th of January, 1815,) the British 
loss amounted to at least two-thousand, in killed, wounded, and pris- 
oners : amongst the slain were general Packenham, the commander, 
and general Gibbs. The Americans were commanded by general 
Jackson ; and displayed extraordinary coolness,. and uncommon accii- 
lacy of tive. 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 277 



SEVE.YTH PART, 

RExiSCENSION AND SECOND DETHRONE- 
MENT OF NAPOLEON. 

FAMILIES who had been disjoined by a war of 
more than twenty years, awaited, with delightful an- 
ticipation, a re-union. The soldier who had exchanged the 
bloom of youth for the silvery hairs of age, hastened to 
view the country of his birth, and enjoy a long continued 
peace. But, the field which had been abandoned, was yet 
to be regained. The banners, which necessity had furled, 
were again raised, when opposition was withdrawn. The 
meteor, which had illumined by its splendor, and amazed 
by its rapidity, was not extinguished. Napoleon emerged 
from his political eclipse, and made another revolution. 

The terms on which Louis had ascended the throne of 
France, he did not faithfully observe. Questions had been 
debated in the legislative chambers, particularly those rel- 
ative to emigrants' property and the freedom of the press, 
which, though carried, there, in favour of the court, were 
determined on other principles, by the nation. Nor, was 
the idea of being ruled by a dynasty, restored by foreign 
arms, the least revolting to their feelings ; nor, the army as 
contented to remain inactive under an imbecile monarch, 
as desirous to aid a venerated chieftain in retrieving their 
military honour. Napoleon was not unapprized of the gen- 
eral wish. On the 26th of February, under the shade of 
evening, he left Elba, in a sloop of war, with 1100 men, 
chiefly of his old guard ; and, on the 1st of March, landed 
in the small port of Juan. On the 7th, after meeting a tri- 
fling resistance near Antibes, he was joined by the garrison 
at Grenoble, and on the 9th, by the troops at Lyons. When 
he reached Auxerre, he was strengthened by marshal Ney, 
with 12,000 men. This step was decisive. All confidence 
in the army being lost, the king and royal family left Paris 
on the 1 9th ; which was entered, on the following day, by 
Napoleon, without having had occasion to fire a musket. 

But, it was not to be expected, that those powers which 
had united in dethroning him, would acquiesce in this re- 
sumption. In the same month, Austria, Russia, Great Brit- 
ain, and Prussia, determined, each, to keep in the field 
150,000 men, until he should be again expelled. 



irs HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

From the commencement of the alarm, troops had been 
unremittingly sent from England, into Belgium; to rein- 
force the British garrisons already there : and the duke of 
Wellington had arrived as commander of these, and of the 
auxiliaries in that country. The principal French army 
was, at this time, posted at Avesnes, in Flanders. Buona- 
parte, after promising a free constitution to the French peo- 
ple, left Paris on the 1 2th of June. He determined to attack 
the British and Prussian armies, whilst the Austrians and 
Russians were yet too distant to aftbrd them succour. On 
the 1 5th, he drove in the Prussian posts upon the Sambre ; 
and the next day, defeated their chief, marshal Blucher, on 
the heights between Brie and Sombref. In the mean time, 
lord Wellington had directed his whole, army to advance 
on Quatre Bras; where, the first division, under general 
Picton, had arrived ; followed by a corps under the com- 
mand of the duke of Brunswick, and by the troops of Nas- 
sau. It was the duke of Wellington's desire, to afford as- 
sistance to Blucher; but, he was, himself, attacked, by a 
large body of cavalry and infantry, with a powerful artillery, 
under marshal Ney, before his own cavalry had arrived. A 
warm action ensued. The repeated charges of the French 
were steadily repulsed : yet, considerable loss was suffered, 
including the duke of Brunswick. 

Blucher retreated, during the night, to Wavre ; and lord 
Wellington made a corresponding movement to Waterloo ; 
his left communicating slightly with the Prussians. 

Napoleon was now entering his fiftieth battle ; in forty- 
nine of which, he had been victorious. But, in none of these 
had he encountered Wellington. The meeting must have 
been full of solicitude to both. On the morning of the 18th 
of June, he assembled his whole force, nearly equal, in num- 
ber, to his enemy, consisting of 70,000 veterans, and 240 
cannon, upon a range of heights opposite to the British 
army ; with the exception of one division, under marshal 
Grouchy; which had been defached to observe, and pre- 
vent the junction of the Prussians. At ten o'clock. Napo- 
leon began the action, by a furious attack on Hougomont ; 
which was renewed, by different efforts, during the entire 
day ; but resisted with so much firmness, that the position 
was effectually maintained. At the same time, he kept up 
a heavy cannonade against the whole British line ; and 
made repeated charges on several other points, which were 
uniformly repulsed, except at the farm-house of La Haye 
Sainte. Late in the evening, a desperate eifort was made 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. :irv 

near that place, against the left of the centre. This pro- 
duced a severe contest. For a time, it appeared dubious, 
whether the resistance would be effectual. But the English 
Avere at length relieved. A distant cannonade was heard. 
The Prussians appeared, and the right flank of the enemy 
retreated. Wellington seized the moment, and advanced 
his whole line of infantry, supported by cavalry and artille- 
ry. The French were soon forced from every position, and 
fled in the utmost confusion ; leaving on the field of battle 
150 pieces of cannon, with their ammunition. They were 
followed by the victors, until long after dark ; when, the 
pursuit was continued by the Prussians. Nothing could be 
more complete than the discomfiture of Napoleon's army ; 
of which, the remains, consisting of about 40,000, partly 
without arms, and carrying with them no more than twen- 
ty-seven pieces of artillery, made their retreat through 
Charleroi. 

This, was the issue of the battle of Waterloo. But, such 
a victory, over so brave an enemy, could not be cheaply 
purchased. In no action, of the previous war, had so many 
British officers been slain. Two generals, Picton and Pon- 
Ronby, besides four colonels, were killed; nine generals and 
five colonels were amongst the wounded ; and the total 
number, killed and wounded, of the British and Hanoveri" 
ans, was above 12,000. 

Finding that all was lost, Napoleon hastened back to 
Paris ; and, assembling his council, requested to be made 
dictator. This desire being, however, resisted by La Fay- 
ette, and other leading members of the legislature, Buona- 
parte, perceiving that he was no longer the object of pub- 
lic confidence, issued a declaration ; in which, " offering 
himself a sacrifice to the hatred of the enemies of France," 
he proclaimed his son emperor, by the title of Napoleon 
the second. The nomination of his son was not so readily 
accepted, as the abdication of himself; and commissioners 
repaired to the allied armies, with proposals of peace. The 
victors, however, would treat only under the walls of Paris. 
They accordingly advanced ; and entered that city, after 
considerable opposition from the adjoining heights, follow- 
ed by a capitulation, on the 3d of July. 

Thus, was the capital of France a second time in posses- 
sion of the allies. 

Buonaparte was, in the mean time, occupied with the 
care of his own safety ; endeavouring to gain a sea-port, 
nnd embark fur the United States. Accompanied by a 



280 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

general, he arrived at Rochfort. The place, however, be- 
ing closely watched by EnL>lish cruizers, after some at- 
tempts to elude their vigilance, he determined to throw 
himself on British protection. On the 1 5th of July, ho 
went, with his suite and baggage, on board the Bellerophou 
man of war, captain Maitland. Upon intelligence of this 
event reaching the allied sovereigns, it was determined that 
he should be carried, as a state prisoner, to St. Helena; a 
British island in the southern Atlantic: there, to be retain- 
ed, under the strictest guard, within specified limits for 
recreation. Accordingly, the Bellerophon sailed for Tor- 
bay; where, the dangerous captive, with a few of his most 
attached adherents, was transferred to the Northumberland, 
captain sir George Cockburn ; who conveyed him to his des- 
tined abode. 

At this time, fell also Murat, a brother-in-law of Napo- 
leon. He had been suffered to remain as king of Naples ; 
the only individual that was allowed to continue as sove- 
reign, except Bernadotte, now on the throne of Sweden, of 
all the friends who had risen with his elevation. Being 
defeated by the Austrians, and taken prisoner, by his own 
subjects, in Calabria, he was condemned by a military com- 
mission, and shot. Lucien, Jerome, and Louis Buonaparte, 
are settled in different parts of the European continent; and 
Joseph resides in the United States. 

A portion of the great naval strength of England, was in 
the following year employed in a most beneficial duty. The 
barbarians who occupy the immense northern coast of Af- 
rica, were compelled to abandon their inhuman piracies. 
The United States had nobly caused them to respect her 
vessels: Britain was now called on to achieve, for the other 
civilized nations, what they were unable to accomplish for 
themselves. The Barbary corsairs seldom or never mo- 
lested British ships or subjects: since the first treaty made 
with the barbarians, in the reign of Charles the second, no 
English vessel had been captured by their public ships of 
war, nor had any English subject been made a slave. But 
the forbearance was, in some measure, purchased. Great 
Britain had been paying them a disgraceful tribute. This, 
however, the existing spirit of the age required should be 
discontinued, and the practice of sea-plunder and enslaving, 
relinquished, as regarded every nation of the world. Lord 
Exmouth (admiral Pellew) was accordingly despatched with 
a fleet, to Tunis and Tripoli; at which places, he was com- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 281 

pletely successful : a treaty was signed, without a battle. 
But, the dey of Algiers was more powerful. He would 
agree only to a part of the proposed terms. The admiral, 
therefore, returned to England, and sailed with a more com- 
manding force ; in all, seven ships of the line and a propor- 
tional accompaniment of frigates and gun-boats; supported 
by a fleet of the Netherlands, under admiral Capellan. Ex- 
mouth entered the bay of Alg-iers on the 27th of August j 
and, having anchored within fifty yards of the mole, in front 
of their tremendous batteries, mounted with cannon of un- 
usual size, and defended by 50,000 men, continued, with 
uninterrupted fury, for nearly three hours, so destructive a 
storm of shells and bullets, that their contiguous works were 
entirely ruined, and 7000 of the garrison killed or wounded. 
The dey was completely humbled. The loss of the brave 
assailants was, however, lamentably great. No squadron, 
had been, at any time, exposed in so awful a situation. But, 
the consequences of the victory were more cheering, than 
its effects to be lamented. The dey immediately restored 
to liberty above a thousand captives, refurided all the money 
which he had previously received for ransoms, bound the 
state to relinquish piracy for ever, and the practice of con- 
demning prisoners to slavery. Thus, was accomplished, an 
achievement, in attempting which, the emperor, Charles 
the fifth, had lost 150 vessels, and expended the lives of 
30,000 men; which had, three several times, in the reign 
of the first James, baffled even the English navy; and again, 
a numerous fleet under admiral Du Quesne; when, the dey 
committed the atrocious act of binding the French consul 
to the mouth of a mortar, and firing him ott' amongst the 
bombarding squadron, 

Britain had acquired a large share of military glory, by 
these signal triumphs : but her internal situation soon after- 
wards became alarming. Her taxation is enormous; the 
difliculty of employing her population, greater than was 
ever known. Dissatisfaction to the government is annual- 
ly increasing. The meetings, under the influence of such 
leaders as Hunt and Watson, Thistlcwood and Wooler, 
caused serious edarm, even to patriots of established repu- 
tation : but, the conduct of tlie armed yeomanry, who as- 
sailed, with deplorable efl'ect, a vast assemblage of both 
sexes at Manchester, has branded, with everlasting infamy, 
not only themselves, but the sanguinary magistrates, by 
whose orders the murders were committed. 

The princess Charlotte, only daughter of the regent, and 



032 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

presumptive heiress of the crown, -vvho had been married 
to prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, died, in her twenty- 
second year, universally lamented. The queen, havinjj 
reached her 75th year, died in November, 1818. 

The king, who had continued since 1811 as only a nomi- 
nal sovereign, was insensible to every occurrence. His bodi- 
ly health was unimpaired, but his intellectual malady had 
been long confirmed. Corporeal weakness at length be- 

^ came visible: he rapidly decluied; and, on the 29th 

" * of January, expired at Windsor, in the 82d year of 
his age, and 60th of his reign. The king's fourth son, the 
duke of Kent, died only a few days before his father. 

Besides five daughters, and the prince of Wales, vvho has 
succeeded him, under the title of (ieorge the fourth, the 
deceased monarch left five other sons; the dukes of York 
and Clarence, Cumberland, Sussex, and Cambridge; the 
first of whom is now presumptive heir to the crown. 

That long protracted warfare, was unable to repress the 
growing spirit of national improvement. Every species of 
literature, science, and manufacture, was cultivated with 
unceasing ingenuity. Even those manufactures, invented 
and asssiduously cherished on the continent, have almost 
invariably admitted of refinement in Great Britain. France 
has been an exceedingly prolific inventor; as an inventor, 
perhaps unrivaled; but she must yield to England the cha- 
racter of completing and finishing, with permanent ele- 
gance, what she had previously commenced. 

As a scientific manufacturer, Wedgewood has displayed 
most admirable research, in the article of porcelain. This 
sumptuous production was first brought from China and Ja- 
pan, and received its English appellation, (probably through 
the French,) from the Portug\iese /2orcf//a?7a, which signi- 
fies a cup. The illustrious Reaumur, the first who attend- 
ed to its manufacture, as a science, published his discove- 
ries in France, at the beginning of the last century; but, 
before that period, it had been brought, in that country, to 
considerable perfection. 

No branch of industry ever had more powerful influence, 
in extending the commerce, congregatmg the inhabitants, 
and, at the same time, corrupting the morals, and increas- 
ing the misery of the British, than the Cotton Manufacture. 
It seems to have reached its highest point of excellence. 
The most ancient mode of spinning, that we can discover, 
was by the distaff; an emblem in the Heathen mythology. 
From the distaff, the material was drawn by the revolution 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 283 

of a ball, held underneath ; which twisted and received the 
thread. We next perceive the addition of a frame; in 
which, the spindle was supported, and set in motion by a 
band that encompassed a wheel, and received an occasional 
impulse from the hand; forming the domestic machine used 
in spinning wool. To this, followed the common linen- 
wheel; invented in Germany in the year 1530; which pos- 
sesses the advantage of a flyer, and a uniformly steady mo- 
tion from the action of the foot. At length, hi 1767, James 
Hargrave, of Blackburn, in Lancashire, constructed a ma- 
chine, by which a great number of threads can be spun at 
once. This, called the Jenny, is the best that has hitherto 
appeared for making verv coarse weft. About the s* me 
time, cylinder carding was introduced; an invention claim- 
ed by many individuals. The next improvement was de- 
rived from a clockmaker of Bolton. But the fruits of his 
ingenuity were reaped by another; a person named Richard 
Arkwright, who was knighted for the invention. Ark- 
wright followed the business of a village tonsor; and, dur- 
ing his morning visits to the mechanic, was enabled, by the 
loquacity characteristic of that profession, to become mas- 
ter of the secret. We here allude to what is called the 
Warp-spinning-frame, distinguished by the application of 
rollers. The latest modification, which is perhaps the most 
important, certainly the most ingenious, received the name 
of Mule; by its combining the principles of the Jenny and 
the Warp machine. From this, can be produced a thread 
equal in fineness to the most delicate of India. The first 
cotton mill erected in England was by Arkwright and Har- 
grave, at Nottingham; in Scotland, by Peter Brothcrston, 
at Pennecuic, near Edinburgh. In Ireland, the first twist 
machinery was made at Grcencastle, under the direction, 
and for the use of, Nicholas Grimshaw; and the first cotton 
mill erected (in 1784} at Whitehouse, near Belfast, by the 
latter, in conjunction with Nathaniel Wilson. Several of 
these improvements have been successfully applied to the 
spinning of fl^ax and wool. The printing of calicoes held 
a simultaneous progress, in point of extent; and in regard 
to brilliancy and variety of colour, went hand -in-hand with 
chemistry, its parent science. 

Eerthollet, a French chemist, has enabled us to curtail 
the time formerly used in bleaching linen and cotton fab- 
rics. The oxygenated muriatic acid, first applied by him 
to that purpose, will produce as much eftect in a few days^ 
B b 



.84 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

as the old method of atmospherical exposure, m as man/ 
v/eeks. 

The Steam "Engine next demands our notice. The first 
account of this great invention, is in a book published by 
the marquis of Worcester, in 1663; with which nobleman, 
it unquestionably originated. From that period, it has re- 
ceived many improvements. Its present high state of ex- 
cellence, indeed its application to any purpose, with a due 
degree of economy and effect, is owing to the chemical and 
mechanical knowledge of Mr. Watt, a pupil of Dr. Black, 
He commenced his experiments upon the steam-engine in 
1763, about the time w^hen this great chemist promulgated 
his discovery of latent heat. The greatest mechanical pro- 
ject that ever engaged the attention of man, was on the point 
of being executed by this machine. The States of Holland 
were treating with Bolton and W^att for draining the Haer- 
lem Mecr, and even reducing the Zuyder-Zee, until pre- 
vented by their revolution, 

Francis Egerton, duke of Bridgewater, is celebrated as 
the person who began, in England, the cutting of naviga- 
ble canals with locks. Assisted by Brindley, a man of as- 
tonishing powers of mind, but without the polish of educa- 
tion, having surveyed his estate at Worsley, he obtained 
an act of parliament, authorizing him to open a communi- 
cation between Manchester and Worsley, and return over 
the river Irwell, to Manchester. Though a solid rock op- 
posed their progress, the opulence of the one and genius 
of the other overcame every obstacle. Air funnels were 
made through the hill, to discharge the noxious air from 
below; and this great canal was. conveyed, not only more 
than a mile under ground, but over an arch forty feet above 
the surface of the Irwell : so that whilst vessels pass through 
the dark subterranean cavity, others sail on the canal above. 
Thus, the coals of the duke's estate v/ere carried to the 
iieighbouring towns, and the commerce of Liverpool was 
\mited by the Mersey, to Manchester. 

The year 1782 is remarkable for having produced the 
first effective Air-Balloon. Stephen and John Montgolfier, 
of France, were the successful experimentalists, after many 
suggestions and trials, by various persons, durhig more 
than a century. Bishop Wilkins, in 1762, undoubtedly 
gave the first hint. His idea was pursued by Cavendish; 
by whom, the specific gravity of inflammable air was as- 
certained, and communicated to Doctor Black. The same 
thought afterwards occurred to Cavallo; who has the hon- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^85 

<Mir of making the first practical experiment; thougli he 
proceeded no farther than blo^ying up soap-bubbles with 
hydrogen gas. The Montgollicr Balloon, however, was 
distended by rarefied air, formed by burning straw and 
wool; not by the hydrogen gas; that having been adopted 
afterwards. Lunardi ascended from London, in 1784; 
Blanchard and Dr. Jefferies made a voyage in a balloon, 
from Dover to Calais, in the year following. In the late 
revolutionary war, the French established an Prostatic In- 
stitute ; from which, issued skilful aeronauts, for the use of 
the armies. Coutel ascended in 1794, accompanied by an 
adjutant and a general ; and conducted the wonderful and- 
important service of reconnoitring the enemy's manoeuvres 
at the battle of Fleurus. He remained, at each of two pe- 
riods, four hours in the air; and, by means of signals, car- 
ried on a correspondence with Jourdan, the commander of 
the French army. The experiment, however, had nearly- 
proved fatal. His intended ascent had been made known 
to the enemy; who, at the moment the balloon began to 
take its flight, opened the fire of a battery against it. The 
first volley was directed too low ; but one ball afterwards 
passed between the balloon and the car. 

The mails, which had been previously conveyed on 
Jiorseback, were, since 1784, by the recommendation of 
John Palmer, carried in regularly established coaches : 
three years after the beginning of the great revolutionary 
war, telegraphs were copied from the French plan : in 
1800, the vaccine inoculation was perfected in England, 
by Dr. Jcnner : about the same time, public buildings were 
heated by steam, and lighted by carbureted hydrogen gas ; 
and Lancaster spread his amazing system of elementary 
school-education. 

In 1787, the British government established the colony 
of Botany Bay ; as a residence for convicts. The progress 
of this settlement has been rapid. It has now a population 
of almost 50,000 : amongst a large portion of these, the 
cause of transportation is not observable ; they have acquir- 
ed habits of industry and good conduct, and use the arts 
and luxuries of polished states. 

Nearly all Flindostan is at length comprised within the 
British empire. / Her colonial subjects number one-hun- 
dred-and-fifty-millions 5* which are computed to be one- 
fourth of all mankind, covering a fifth of the habitable globe. 

The medical science had many accomplished professors, 
its greatest ornaments were, Cullen, Cleghornc, Hunter, 



286 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Smellie, Fordyce, and Mac Bride. In the fine arts, we dis- 
tinguish Boydell, Strange,.and Woolet, as eni^ravers; Ho- 
garth and Barrett, Barry, Stubbs, and Opie, Gainsborous^h, 
Moreland, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, as painters. Ilogjarth 
was also conspicuous in the graphic, and Stubbs in the 
anatomical, school. Tiie former, though not remarkable 
for elegance, stands unrivaled for originality of conception 
and strength of expression; either in delineating the fol- 
lies, or the dangerous vices, of mankind. On the establish- 
ment of the Royal Academy, in 1769, none seerncd so well 
entitled to the honourable office of president, as Reynolds; 
and he was accordingly appointed. Sculpture acquired 
cotemporaneous improvement. Besides the accession of 
foreign talent, England may justly boast of the correct and 
expressive chissel of her native Bacon. In Music, the 
compositions of Arnold and Arne will be admired, whilst 
there remains an ear to appreciate, or feeling to sympa- 
thize with harmony. 

At the head of astronomy and mechanics, by universal 
concurrence, is placed James Ferguson ; a mian who learn- 
ed to read by hearing his father teach his elder brother, 
and, during his whole life, had not above half a year's in- 
struction at school. His " Lectures, '^ which are so per- 
spicuous that they cannot be misunderstood, will be found 
equally instructive and amusing. 

Amongst the dramatic writers are Colman, general Bur- 
goyne. Murphy, and Cumberland ; Home, Foot, Garrick, 
and Dibden. The last three were distinguished also as per= 
formers. 

Foot was an ever-flowing fountain of colloquial wit. He 
had the misfortune to require a wooden leg. Being once 
on a visit at a friend's house, near London, at Christmas, 
he found the rigour of the season little softened by the 
influence of a blazing hearth. He resolved to shorten the 
period of his intended stay, and was one morning, very 
early, preparing to depart. "What is the matter, my dear 
Foot," exclaimed his fuel-saving host: "what can be the 
reason of this unexpected hurry !" — " Oh, there is no rea- 
son at all," replied his half-frozen guest; " only, that as 
coals are so very scarce here, I was afraid that, some 
morning, before I was up, Betty might thrust my right leg 
into the fire." 

Garrick was unrivaled for a quick perception of proprie- 
ty, and a consequent observance of the ways of nature. He 
was always seen <' to suit the action to the word," and " the 



KISTORY OF ENGLANB. 28r 

word to the action." No public speaker, however emi* 
nent, was above listening- to his precepts, and profiting by 
his example. A young clergyman having requested him 
to notice the manner in which he administered divine ser- 
vice, Garrick very kindly attended. On leaving the church 
together, Gari'ick took hold of his friend's arm, whose 
countenance and gait betokened self-applause. — " Have 
you any urgent business, to attend to, after service?"^ in- 
quired' Garrick. " No ; none at all 1" replied the divine ; 
<' why, do you ask me such a question ?" — I thought you 
had something pressing, from your going up into the pul- 
pit in so much haste. — What was that book^ on the desk 
before you ? — That book 1 — why, only the Bible I — " Only 
the Bible^'" rejoined his acute monitor : '« I thought it had 
been a merchant's leger, or a journal, — some common ac- 
count book, left accidentally in your way, from your toss- 
ing it about with so much indifference." 

In poetry, the most successful candidates for lasting 
fame, are, Falcojier, Graiuger, and Armstrong ; Glover, 
Mason, and Chatterton; Goldsmith, and Johnson; Churchill, 
Burns, Cowper, Darwin, Beattie, and Walcott. With the 
first five names, it is sufficient to associate, respectively, 
The Shipwreck; A Poem on the Sugar Cane, and a trans- 
lation of TibuUus ; The Art of preserving Health; Leonl- 
das ; Elfrida, and Caractacus. A more extraordinary youth 
has seldom appeared than Chatterton, He published a 
number of poems v/hich he described as written about 
three hundred years before, by Rowley, a monk of Bristol ; 
declaring, that he had received them from his father, 
whose family had held, for nearly one-hundred-and-fifty 
years, the office of sexton of Redclift church ; and that they 
had remained buried in dust, in an old chest, above the 
Chapel. 

The Traveller of Goldsmith abounds with animated de- 
scription ; his Deserted Village exhibits beauties peculi- 
arly its own, and, for harmony and softness, is not inferior 
to the happiest lines of Pope. As long as the simple tale 
of indigent nature and suffering humanity can interest 
the heart, so long will the poetry of Goldsmith continue to 
be read. This amiable man studied at I'rinity College, 
Dublin; for whicli university he was prepared by the Rev. 
Mr. Hughes, of Edgeworthtown, in the county of Long- 
ford, the district of his nativity. In his last journey to 
school, he had an adventure, which is thought to have sug- 
gested the plot of his admired comedy. She Stoops to Con- 
B b 2 



388 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

quer, or the Mistakes of a Night. Some friend had given 
him a guinea ; and, in his way to Edgeworthtown, (about 
twenty rniles from his father's house,) he had diverted him- 
self by viewing the gentlemen's seats on the road, until, at 
the approach of night, he reached a small town, named 
Ardagh. Here, he inquired for the " best house" in the 
place, meaning the best inn; but, being understood too lit- 
erally, he was directed to the house of a private gentleman ; 
Avhere, calling for somebody to take his horse and lead him 
to the stable, he alighted, and was shown into the parlour; 
supposed to be a guest come to visit the master. The gen- 
tleman immediately discovered the mistake ; and being a 
man of humour, and also learning from him the name of 
his father, who happened to be his acquaintance, he en- 
couraged the deception. Goldsmith accordingly <' called 
about him," ordered a good supper, and generously invit- 
ed the master, his wife and daughters, to partake ; treal:- 
ed them with a bottle or two of wine, and, on going to bed, 
ordered a hot cake to be prepared for his breakfast ; nor 
did he, until at his departure, when he asked for the bill, 
discover, that he had been hospitably entertained in a pri- 
vate family. Doctor Goldsmith died in 1772, in his 46th 
year. Many scenes of his life are extremely interesting. 
In his Vicar of Wakefield, the philosophical wanderer is 
supposed to be drawn from his own adventures ; and, in his 
Citizen of the World, he gives an account of his worthy 
father, under the character of" the man in black." 

Dr. Johnson was born at Lichfield, and died in 1784; 
having attained the age of 75. He studied for about three 
years at Oxford ; where his collegiate exercises displayed 
superior powers. He first visited London with his pupil, 
Garrick; who, like himself, was in quest of employment. 
In 1738, he published his "London," in imitation of Ju- 
venal's third satire ; which was so favourably received, that 
it passed to a second edition within a week. But, were wc 
to consider Johnson merely as a poet, we should form a 
very inadequate estimate of his erudition, talents, and per- 
severance. Although his Dictionary of the English Lan- 
guage, and his Rambler, are only a small portion of his la- 
bours, they are sufficient to elevate him to a high degree of 
fame. The former was published in 1775. The Rambler, 
he continued for two years ; writing a Number for every 
Tuesday and Saturday: during which period, he was en- 
gaged with his dictionary, only five papers were contribut- 
ed by others, and he was frequently distracted by anguish 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 289 

and disease. His dictionary, however, would admit of con- 
siderable improvement. The derivations of words, from for- 
eign languages are too frequently given from compounds; 
the definitions and examples exhibit rather the various sen- 
ses in which words have been written, than the classical ac- 
ceptation in which they viay he used w4th propriety and 
elegance ; a large number have been admitted which are 
obsolete ; and many, of his own forming, that are both use- 
less and pedantic. It might, with advantage, be curtailed 
to half its present size. — Johnson has been justly entitled 
the great Moralist. In his Rambler, we perceive the most 
profound and elevated ethics; and the style exhibits the 
English language in its highest state of sublimity and mag- 
nificence. But that work was not so splendid or correct, 
on its first appearance. The assertion of Mr. Boswell, his 
minute biographer, is erroneous, when he says that a copy 
printed at Edinburgh, from the periodical papers, "is the 
most accurate and beautiful edition." It received, in the 
second and third editions, several thousand alterations; ma- 
ny of which seem indispensable, to protect it from the ani- 
madversions of the most liberal critic. Boswell was fond 
of inflating trifles, and recording even the infirmities of his 
illustrious patron ; as if he had despaired of transmitting his 
name to posterity, by his own merits, but sought, like the 
destroyer of the Ephesian temple, to gain associated im- 
mortality amongst ruins. 

Robert Burns, though literally a ploughman, rose to high 
poetic fame, by the strong powers of his genius; and was 
soon drawn from his agricultural profession, to the compa- 
ny of men of letters. Since the days of Shakespeare, per- 
haps not any have portrayed the nice shades of the human 
character with so masterly a hand, as Burns; especially in 
those poems wn^itten in the Scottish dialect. No readers, 
however, except those of Scotland, or of the northern coun- 
ties of England and Ireland, where that dialect is familiar, 
can fully appreciate the beauties of this poet. His country- 
man, Dr. Curric, long knov/n as an eminent physician in 
Liverpool, published in 1800, four years after the death of 
Burns, a fine edition of his works; and benevolently assign- 
ed the entire profit to his widow and children. 

Beattie is deservedly admired for his Minstrel: Cowper, 
for his translation of Homer, in blank verse, and his Task : 
Walcott, for his satires, with the assumed name of Peter 
Pindar. Cowper, is also the author of John Gilpin, a popu- 



290 • HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

iar ballad ; thc'stoiy of which was related to him, as amubt- 
ment in a tedious hour, by his friend Lady Austin. 

Robertson and Gibbon, are to be considered as historians : 
Hume, in addition to the character of historian, ranks high 
in the abstruse philosophy of metaphysics. Of these great 
writers, the last two may be pronounced the more acute 
and elaborate reasoners; the first the most generally es- 
teemed. Hume's great performance, is the History of 
England ; Gibbon's, the Decline and Fall of the Roman 
Emph-e. The most admired works of Robertson, are the 
History of Charles the fifth, and the History of America. 
Sterne, by his Tristram Shandy, and Sentimental Journey, 
has obtained the honour of introducing a new species of 
composition ; and, whatever may be objected to particular 
passages in these, he stands pre-eminent in awaking the 
noblest sympathies of the human heart. Besides the writ- 
ings which Blair and Paley have left, connected with re- 
ligion, the former has given us the most valuable lectures 
on rhetoric and belles lettres; the latter, the most popular 
work on moral philosophy, that Great Britain has ever pro- 
duced. The English language owes much to the profound 
researches of Bishop Lowth, son of the eminent divine, 
mentionef^ in the last reign ; and to John Home Tooke. In 
his Gramii^ar, though it is now nearly obsolete, Lov.'th has 
shown a philosophical knowledge of our language, and giv- 
en a foundation on which subsequent improvements have 
been raised. He is still more eminent for his lectures on 
the sacred Flebrew poetry, delivered at Oxford. Home 
Tooke, in his Diversions of Purlcy, has inquired into the 
derivations of English words, from the Saxon, with extra- 
ordinary, and successful, minuteness. He was also one of 
the most active politicians of his day. Having been occa- 
sionally of a different opinion from Junius, he opposed him 
with so much ability, that, notwithstanding the powerful 
logic of this unknown author, every unprejudiced reader 
must assign the victory to Horne. Of the powers of mind 
and comprehensive information evinced by Adam Smith, 
his Wealth of Nations will be a memorial to the latest pos- 
terity. Graves is the author of lucubrations in prose and 
rhyme, published under the name of Peter Pomfret ; and 
of an ingenious performance called the Spiritual Quixote. 
No lawyer ever contributed so much to lessen the difficul- 
ties of his profession, as sir William Blackstone. His 
Commentaries are invaluable, and should be studied by 
every gentleman who feels inte-restcd in the laws of Eng- 



HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 291 

land. In a different walk, lord Kaimes is alnnost equally- 
distinguished. His elements of Criticism, and Sketches, 
are not less calculated to give amusement than instruction. 

Postlethwaite and Anderson wrote on commercial ccono- 
jiiy: Grose was equally devoted to antiquities. Hawkes- 
worth is author of the Adventurer, besides, a Narration of 
Discoveries in the Pacific Ocean; and sir William Jones, 
by his Oriental Researches, has excited very general ad- 
miration. The church was adorned by the unrivaled ap- 
peals of Kirwan. "He called forth the latent virtues of 
the human heart, and taught men to discover in themselves 
a mine of charity, of which their proprietors had been un- 
conscious. He came to interrupt the repose of the pulpit, 
and shake one world with the thunder of another." 

The female pen, if it did not contribute to the advance- 
ment of science, was, at least, conducive to amusement. 
Many females, however, achieved no more than mere com- 
mon-place romances. But, the names of More, Hamilton, 
and Inchbald; Opie and Barbauld; Williams, Burney, and 
Edgeworth; will be respected : they have combined morali- 
ty with recreation.* 

Whilst those were following the retired inclinations of the 
closet, others sought renown by exploring the i-p-^t distant 
regions of the globe. Of these, some chose tiVe burning- 
desert, some the boisterous surface of the deep. The one 
has given celebrity to Bruce and Park ; the other to Byron, 
Wallis, Carteret, and Cook. The Royal Society, wishing 
to observe the transit of Venus, over the sun's disk, from 
some of the islands in the Pacific, captain Cook was appoint- 
ed to command the ship Endeavour. Accompanied by sir 
Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and Mr. Green, he reached 
Otaheite in April, 1769 ; the place where the observations 
were to be made. In his third voyage round the world, 
after making many useful discoveries, he was killed in a 
quarrel with the natives of Owyhee, one of the Sandwich 
Islands, in 1779. 

Every one is familiar with the name of Howard, the cele- 
brated philanthropist. On his way to Lisbon, to view the 
dreadful consequences of an earthquake which destroyed 
that city in the year 1755, being captured by a French pri- 
vateer, the severities of confinement he enduried in France, 
excited that sympathy for suffering captives, which has 
rendered his memory so illustrious. A statue, erected in 

* Several of these accomplished females are still living". 



:-^ HISTORY OF ITNGLAND. 

St. Paul's, represents him in a Roman dress, holding- in 
one hand a scroll of v/ritings on the improvement of prisons, 
and in the other, a key; whilst he tramples upon chains 
and fetters. 

Two remarkable instances of longevity are noticed. Colo- 
nel Winslow died, in Ireland, aged 146, and Conscst, in 
England, at the yet more patriarchal age of 150 years. 

Architecture, useful as well as ornamental, has in this 
reign employed very general attention. Black Friar's 
Bridge, in London, combines both utility and elegance. 
The first stone of this important means of communication, 
which is eleven-hundred feet long, and was finished at an ex- 
pense of more than one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand poimds, 
was laid a few days after the late monarch ascended the 
throne. The Irish capital, however, especially in the Cus- 
tom-House, on which was expended seven-hundred-thou- 
sand, and the Four Courts, which cost five-hundred-thou- 
sand pounds, exhibits the most classical and magnificent 
public buildings, that have been erected, perhaps in any 
country of Europe, since the finishing of St. Paul's cathed- 
ral. 



THE END. 



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